Talida Prime: Rising Storms
by IceGirl2772
Summary: Sequel to Talida Prime: Fading Light. With Optimus back, everyone expected things to fall into place. But with Iacon relics popping up, it's a race against the Decepticons to claim them. And with Arcee, Jack and Talida harbouring dangerous secrets about their recent journey to Cybertron, what will the Autobots have to face this time round? Optimus/Arcee Bumblebee/OC Jack/Miko
1. Operation: Bumblebee Part 1

**Hey, guys! Yep! I'm back! You're back! We're all back for **_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_**. With the drama that happened this season and everything that happened in **_**Fading Light**_**, what do you think's gonna happen next?**

**First of all, I have to reply to reviews that were left on the last chapter of Fading Light.**

**Awesmo3000: **_**An awesome end to an even awesomer story! Can't wait for Rising Storm! It's gonna be awesome! :D (BTW, it's "afro, circus, afro, circus, polka dot, polka dot, polka dot, afro!")**_

**Really? Thanks for that!**

**Bee4ever: **_**Awesome ending. Can't wait for the sequel!**_

**Neither can I!  
**

**devildog452: **_**What do you think will become of Malita?**_

**When I know, you'll know.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**Can't wait for the next story**_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**I loved this story! It's actually better than TFP itself. Hope you post the sequel soon!**_

**How's this for soon?**

**Jacob Detiz: **_**How about make the story on the 21**__**st**__** so I can look forword to read it on my birthday.**_

**Can't. Brothers coming up. Won't have the time.**

**Link's Rose: **_**Ohmygod I'm so excited! Because the threequel is coming soon, and, and, TFP SEASON THREE IS COMING OUT NEXT FREAKING MONTH! **__**Asdfgjilasdfghjklqwyrudnskch sj!**_

**No it ain't. It's a rerun of Transformers: Animated. It was placed in the wrong category.**

**Abyss Prime: **_**OH MY FRAGGING PRIMUS! YOU KILL ME SO! UPDATE SOON! XD**_

**Don't worry. I'll update.**

**Guest: **_**AMAZING CANT WAIT! What song is that ? PLEASE UPDATE SOOON ! HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY! I hope you have a wonderful birthday**_

**Always do. **** The song was Shattered by Trading Yesterday from their album More Than This.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**I would love to see another trailer with scenes from the whole 2**__**nd**__** season.**_

**I'm not THAT good.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**I have loves this and can't wait for the sequel. 'til all are one!  
**_

'**Til all are one!  
**

**VectorSigma101: **_**Great ending! :D Wonder how Talida's going to react to Bumblebee loosing his T-Cog…DRAMA!  
**_

**This will be good…**

**haloangel21: **_**…I see your point here. Anyway, loved the epilogue. Can't wait for the next continuing story!**_

**Glad you loved it!**

**Oh! Talida's outfit's been changed. I forgot to mention that before. Whoops! Anyway, Talida is wearing from now on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a blue singlet, a red cardigan, brown boots, brown belt, a gold Forever 21 headband and the necklace. Her bangs are still there and her hair is wavy. No purity ring. She shouldn't be wearing once since…well, she's not a virgin.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Broken**_** rightfully belongs to Lifehouse and their respective record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_The broken clock is a comfort.  
__It helps me sleep tonight.  
__Maybe it can stop tomorrow,  
__From stealing all my time._

_I am here, still waiting.  
__Though I still have my doubts.  
__I am damaged at best,  
__Like you've already figured out…_

_I'm falling apart… I'm barely breathing…  
__With a broken heart that's still beating…  
__In the pain… There is healing…  
__In your name, I find meaning…  
__So I'm holdin' on… I'm holdin' on…  
__I'm holdin' on…  
__I'm barely holdin' on to you…_"

Optimus, Ratchet and Bumblebee divided in two separate directions upon arrival. Optimus and Ratchet stuck together while Bumblebee was on his own. Recent events still loomed in their minds Particularly what Arcee, Jack and Talida had to undergo to regain their leader. That was a truth everyone knew. Cybertron almost killed Arcee, Jack and Talida during their perilous journey. Upon their return home, Airachnid only make it worse by firing those shots. Ratchet couldn't count the amount of times he nearly lost at least one of them. Talida more than Jack and Arcee. But they all had to remind themselves that the three of them were still with them. They were still alive but were far from returning to their former selves due to their battered bodies and spirits. It'll take time.

Time they were willing to give.

Hidden away behind a rock, all Optimus and Ratchet could see was trouble. Trouble in the form of Megatron. He arrived at the sight and transformed into his bipedal mode. Slowly, yet menacingly, he walked towards his troops that were in the middle of an excavation. The Autobots weren't the only ones to spot the signal.

"Megatron?!" Ratchet gasped in horror.

"It seems you detected the Ancient Autobot frequency precisely because it was unearthed," Optimus rumbled.

"Well, our backup shouldn't be far behind," Ratchet stated, referring to Bumblebee who had gone off to scout the area upon Optimus' orders.

"Without knowing what the Decepticons have exhumed, I believe that I am unwilling to wait," Optimus decreed as he stood up charging his blasters.

Optimus began to walk down to the sight. Ratchet remained where he was. He didn't know what was going to happen next. But he knew he wasn't going to like it. The Decepticons are still to notice the presence of the Autobots. They were too busy exhuming their latest finding.

"Show me," Megatron requested high in the rocks before the drones hoisted a strange Cybertronian container, one that Megatron recognized very well, "Bring it to me with utmost care."

When the drone brought the container to Megatron with care, the Decepticon lord wasted no time in opening it and revealing the weapon inside. But before he could reach down and take it…

"Megatron!" Optimus called as he ran towards them, "I cannot allow you to pilfer Autobot relics!"

"Not only are you misinformed, Optimus, but I would strongly advise you to lower your weapons…unless you're in the mood for mutually assured destruction," Megatron smirked as he held up an oddly-shaped weapon; one that made Optimus and Ratchet shudder in fear.

"It can't be!" Ratchet gasped.

"The spark extractor," Optimus growled.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_The broken locks,  
__Were a warning you got inside my head.  
__I tried my best to be guarded.  
__I'm an open book instead._

_I still see,  
__Your reflection inside my eyes.  
__That are looking for a purpose.  
__They're still looking for life…_

_I'm falling apart… I'm barely breathing…  
__With a broken heart… That's barely beating…  
__In the pain (in the pain), is there healing…  
__In your name (in your name), I find meaning…_

_I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm barely holdin' on to you…_"

The drones were quick to surround the two Autobots. Too many times they had let the Autobots slip through their clawed servos. They weren't going to make the same mistakes again. Megatron would have their heads on a silver platter.

"Rather unassuming yet capable of extracting every spark within its radius. And too think that _you_ led me straight to it, Optimus. Or should I say _Orion Pax_ did?" Megatron smirked, earning a murderous glare from his younger brother, "You really should have left your Decepticon insignia intact…for you have no idea how useful your code-breaking skills proved to be during our all-to brief time together. And how is my dear niece?"

"An answer you will never get," Optimus growled.

After his family nearly died at his hands, did Megatron really think that Optimus was going to answer that willingly?

"Cannot blame an uncle for trying to inquire about the health of his niece, baby brother. Soundwave, send the GroundBridge," Megatron requested before one appeared, "FINISH THEM!"

As the drones began to battle Ratchet and Optimus, Megatron began to leave. With the drones keeping his enemies busy, he could make an easy escape…

Or will he?

Three other drones were hiding behind the rocks, their blasters charging. Obviously, they were planning to jump in and catch the Autobots by surprise. Well, a certain black-and-yellow muscle car wasn't going to let that happen. Bumblebee jumped from the cliff and landed in the ditch in vehicle mode. Repeated shots were fired as Bumblebee drove towards the battle involved other drones, Optimus and Ratchet. Optimus was never so relieved to see the scout in his life.

"Bumblebee, secure the package!" Optimus requested.

Bumblebee didn't waste time. He immediately raced for the awaiting GroundBridge where Megatron was slowly walking through it. Megatron didn't hear the sounds of the Autobot scout transforming behind him. In fact, he didn't notice Bumblebee's presence until he swooped past and took the spark extractor right out of his hand. A Mexican stand-off was about to take place. Bumblebee stood crouched to the ground, holding the spark extractor in his hand. Megatron stood upright. Shocked, but ready to fire his weapons whenever necessary.

"WHAT?!" Megatron boomed as he unsheathed his blade.

Not wanting to get sliced and diced, Bumblebee made a hasty retreat. Megatron was quick to follow. Bumblebee transformed into his vehicular mode and drove right between Megatron's legs as though he was driving through a tunnel. Megatron was quick to follow the scout as he performed the loop-de-loop, swiping his blade every chance he got. Megatron screamed in frustration as he followed Bumblebee out of the entrance of the portal he originally came through. He wasn't about to lose him. Not again. Bumblebee performed another loop-de-loop and disappeared…well, he had disappeared by the time Megatron emerged.

So had Optimus and Ratchet.

And then there were the destroyed drones.

Megatron just can't win.

* * *

Optimus, Ratchet and Bumblebee bridged themselves back to base with the spark extractor they intercepted from Megatron. Arcee, Bulkhead, Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf were listening in on Bumblebee's recollection of the story. Cayden was fast asleep in Arcee's arms after being fed some low-grade Energon. Everyone has adapted well to the birth of Cayden like they did with Talida's. Talida herself has also adapted very well and slipped into the 'older sister' role. Mostly, she was just happy about no longer being the youngest in the family. Unfortunately for her, she can't play with her brother as much because of her recovering lungs and the fact she has to have that cast on for another five weeks. But she does what she can and Cayden loves his big sister all the same.

"Loop-de-loop, huh?" Arcee smirked.

Done with using the toy car as a model, Bumblebee handed the car back to his son, enjoying the sounds of his laughter as he ruffled his hair playfully. Raf, however, pretended to gag when Bumblebee nuzzled Talida gently.

Bulkhead chuckled before saying, "You've got some brass bearings, Bumblebee."

"Optimus, here. The source of the frequency we detected," Ratchet proclaimed as he pointed to the beacon.

"Is it that I think it is?" Talida asked as she and the others joined the conversation.

"If you are thinking that this is an Iacon homing beacon, then yes," Optimus nodded.

"How did you know?" Miko wanted to know.

"Saw a lot of those in the Hall of Records back on Cybertron…until Megatron blew it up," Talida grumbled.

"What's an Autobot locator beacon doing on that?" Arcee demanded.

"The Class A Decepticon weapons confiscated during the war were sealed in the vaults during Iacon," Optimus answered.

"Where you once worked as an archivist," Bulkhead piped in.

"Iacon was both a cultural centre and a stronghold, which Megatron raided when Autobot troops were at their nadir. It stands to reason that in anticipation of Iacon being overrun by enemy forces, these weapons were jettisoned off world to keep them far from Decepticon reach," Optimus explained.

"And the beacons were placed on them to alert any Autobot in the vicinity and/or on the right frequency wavelength in the case of the relics being unearthed," Talida added in realization, "That sneaky bastard knew how to do it."

"But they were mostly used to alert any Autobot if the artifacts were unearthed by the undesired party," Ratchet corrected, "And I would appreciate it if you didn't call Alpha Trion a 'sneaky bastard.'"

"Well, thanks to our hot shot stud driver, this one's going in our vault!" Bulkhead decreed.

Then Arcee asked the question that no one else was brave to ask and Talida wasn't brave enough to reveal the answer to,

"Do you think this is the only Intel you supplied to Megatron?"

"Arcee, you are right to ask," Optimus said as he gently took his son from his spark mate's arms into his own, "And I'm afraid I do not remember."

"Optimus, Megatron clearly took advantage of your amnesia. But for all we know, the spark extractor is only the extent of it!" Ratchet cut in.

"Uh…," Talida trailed off, unsure of whether or not she should reveal the truth.

"It IS the only extent, right?" Ratchet asked nervously.

"You want the short version or the full story?" Talida wanted to know.

"Full story," Optimus requested.

"Almost three days before Arcee, Jack and I were stranded on Cybertron, I infiltrated the Decepticon warship, disguised as a drone. I got myself assigned to you. I overheard some things that I never thought I would overhear. Well…Megatron came in to ask for a progress update. He never noticed me. You did. Never reported me. One of the first things Megatron asked was how many files you have cracked. Well…you cracked three," Talida revealed, "I don't know what the other two were. In fact, until now, I never knew that one of them was the spark extractor."

"You said you knew the files!" Arcee protested.

"All the important ones! You know, ones the Decepticons should NEVER know about!" Talida retorted.

"Calm down or you'll have another attack," Jack warned.

"Besides, have you ever stopped to consider otherwise merely to plague your thoughts?" Ratchet asked.

"If you were there, Talida, how come you never stopped me?" Optimus asked, "How come you never brought me here?"

"They tightened security. Sneaking off was impossible. Even I had trouble. And the reason I never stopped you because there was nothing to worry about. Before everything, you taught me the codenames for everything that should kept out of Decepticon reach no matter what. I saw no threats," Talida shrugged.

* * *

"THE SPARK EXTRACTOR WAS IN MY GRASP!" Megatron roared as he pounded his fist onto a computer station, "I should have removed more than that scout's voice box when I had the chance!"

"Father, you need to remember something," Malita said.

"Be careful what you say next, my daughter. You have been skating on thin ice since the events in the mine," Megatron stated, "I only let you off with a warning because of your unquestionable loyalty in the past before Unicron's awakening. However, if you show evidence of potential betrayal like that again, the fact that Energon and spark relate us would not matter. I would not hesitate to deal the appropriate punishment."

"What I was going to say is…well, I'll let Soundwave say it," Malita corrected his thinking with Soundwave supporting her statement.

"Indeed, Soundwave and Malita. We possess two more sets of coordinates, which Orion decrypted before departing our ranks. Let us see what other long lost treasures we may be reunited with," Megatron smirked.

* * *

With everything going on recently, the Autobots had to be on their guard. Neither of them knew where the decrypted coordinates would lead and neither of them knew what treasures said coordinates would lead everyone too. So…extra patrols were set up. Bulkhead and Bumblebee happened to be on one. Bulkhead went in one direction. Bumblebee went in another.

"Bulkhead, I'm picking up a signal," Bumblebee bleeped into the radio.

"_Yeah. I've just picked up the same signal. Could be another homing beacon. Let's rendezvous at the coordinates._"

No more words were needed after that. At speeds regular cars could only dream of achieving, Bumblebee sped towards the source of the signal. He didn't have far to go. He only had to take the next bend then turn into the desert next to the road. Transforming into his bipedal mode, Bumblebee took steps that were filled with caution.

He saw this transmitter emitting a strange signal implanted in the rocks before him. To say that he was curious would be a terrible understatement. Immediately, Bumblebee took off running towards it. He went to touch it. However, he never got the chance. Just like he never saw who fired the shot.

Bumblebee bleeped in pain as the electricity coursed through his entire body. Eventually, it became too much for the Autobot Scout to bear as he fell back onto the ground, his optics offlining and the sound of his systems shutting down echoed through the night. Four men walked towards the downed Autobot. Among them was Silas.

MECH planned this.

"Silas, another one is heading towards our position. Estimated arrival: two minutes," a MECH surgeon reported.

"Work briskly," Silas instructed.

Above them, a jet flew in the skies before transforming and landing in the cliffs. Starscream had picked up the same signal and decided to investigate the matter. When he got there, he saw Bumblebee being carved open by humans and immediately put two and two together. Starscream may be predictable.

But he wasn't dumb.

"It would appear the signal was a trap. Better Bumblebee than me," Starscream sneered.

While the surgeon worked to remove a vital organ of Bumblebee's systems, Silas stood on the rocks with a pair of binoculars in his hand. He saw another car approaching. It was Bulkhead. Not wanting to encounter the Autobots again, Silas decided to make a hasty retreat.

"The backup is ahead of schedule," Silas observed.

"As luck would have it, so would I," the surgeon remarked as he pulled out an organ.

"Move out," Silas instructed.

The four men boarded the helicopter and took off towards the skies, making a retreat. Starscream, sensing that Bulkhead was on his way, decided to do the same and took off. There was nothing for him here.

When Bumblebee came to moments later, he saw the MECH helicopter taking off. But at the time, he didn't know if it was a new Decepticon or MECH operatives. The sounds of an approaching vehicle filled his ears followed by transformations. Bulkhead immediately ran to his side and knelt next to him.

"Bee! Who did this?! 'Cons?!" Bulkhead growled angrily.

"I don't know," Bumblebee bleeped sadly.

"One way to find out. Come on!" Bulkhead cried as he took off.

Once he was close to the road, Bulkhead transformed and took off at high speeds. Bumblebee went to do the same…however, he couldn't. His wings didn't turn into doors. His chassis didn't turn into his headlights. Bumblebee glanced after Bulkhead on the road. His optics saying one word:

Help.

Screeching tires echoed throughout the Nevada desert. Finally noticing that his buddy was no longer with him, Bulkhead reversed back and transformed.

"We rolling or not?!" Bulkhead demanded.

"I can't," Bumblebee whined.

"What do you mean you can't?!" Bulkhead asked.

Bumblebee said nothing but his optics said it all. Scared. Unsure.

Helpless.

* * *

They called for an emergency GroundBridge immediately after that. Everyone was quick to realize that something was wrong with Bumblebee after they both explained the situation. Raf and Talida were by Bumblebee's side as Ratchet ran a scan over him.

"You can fix dad, can't you?" Raf asked worriedly.

"Bumblebee was hit pretty hard. The stun blast may have fried his T-Cog," Ratchet answered.

"Is that like a T-Bone?" Miko asked.

"Not exactly. It's the organ that allows us to scan vehicles and transform," Arcee corrected.

"Without the ability to transform or fly, Cybertronians are pretty much vulnerable in the battlefield," Talida piped in.

"By the AllSpark!" Ratchet gasped as he deactivated his scanner, "Bumblebee's T-Cog isn't damaged! It's missing!"

Optimus' optics widened in horror. It was one thing for him to loose his voice box. But for him to loose his T-Cog?! Not only can't he speak. He can't transform. Now, he was in more danger than he was when his voice box was destroyed. Optimus wasn't the only one to wear the horror on his face. Bulkhead and Arcee were the same way.

"But the Decepticons transform too? Why would they steal that?!" Jack wanted to know.

"Megatron may be known to raise zombies. But he's no ghoul," Ratchet stated.

"If Megatron wasn't behind this…," Raf began.

"Then who was?" Talida finished, an idea already beginning to form inside her head.

"The ones who cannibalized Breakdown," Bulkhead growled.

"And tried to gut me!" Arcee piped in.

"And kidnapped my mum!" Jack added.

"MECH," Ratchet snarled, "And it would appear their knowledge of Cybertronian biotech has grown more sophisticated."

"But why would they want dad's part?!" Raf wanted to know.

Bumblebee bleeped some things and went to walk away. Obviously, his intentions were to hunt down MECH and regain what was rightfully his. However, knowing what happened last time when Bumblebee lost his voice box, Optimus wasn't willing to let the past repeat itself.

"Bumblebee, please. You are not presently equipped to handle this," Optimus protested, earning some bleeps of strong protests from the young Autobot scout, "You are mistaken, my son. I do know what it's like to lose a vital part of one's self. And as a result, I know the value of putting your faith in the strength of those around you. Especially your family. When Arcee and I raised you as our own, we promised ourselves that we would do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Allow the both of us to promise that we will do whatever it takes to make you whole again. We all will. This I vow with all my spark."

"And if not, Ratchet can make you a new cog thing, right?" Miko asked, hoping that it would make the situation better.

"Here we go," Talida muttered to herself as Bumblebee moaned and slumped back onto the berth.

"What did I say?!" Miko demanded.

"Miko, a T-Cog is a bio mechanism. Not a scrap yard find. If it were that easy, don't you think I would have replaced Bumblebee's voice box by now?!" Ratchet snapped.

"Don't say that!" Talida told Bumblebee off after his latest series of bleeps, "You're not useless! You're far from it!"

"Alright, alright. I say that none of us transform until Bumblebee gets his cog back!" Bulkhead decreed.

"As much as we appreciate the idea and that your spark is in the right place, it's easier said than done," Talida objected.

"Tally's right. Now's not the time to be limiting ourselves," Arcee agreed.

"Not with Megatron potentially seeking out other doomsday devices. And I fear, not while MECH uses Bumblebee's T-Cog for their own sinister use," Optimus snarled.

"Lida, don't even think about it," Jack warned as he placed his hands on Talida's arms, "Look. I'm as upset about this as you are. …OK. Maybe less. But going out on a violent rage isn't going to solve anything. It isn't going to get Bumblebee's T-Cog back any sooner than it's going to take. And it certainly isn't going to help your wrist injury or your lung damage. We're not in a time where Unicron never happened. We're not on Cybertron anymore. You can't just go off gallivanting getting yourself killed. Everything's different now."

"You don't know anything, Jack. So stop pretending that you do!" Talida snapped as she stormed off.

"Tally," Miko began.

"Leave me alone!" Talida yelled, disappearing down the hall.

"Nothing's been the same since Cybertron," Jack muttered darkly.

"She's traumatized, Jack. When Starscream and Malita kidnapped her when she was 14, she refused to talk about it to any of us. It wasn't until her suicide attempt that she told us everything that happened," Arcee explained.

"Something more happened during the journey and rescue than she's willing to confess. Were the three of you ever separated at any stage during your journey?" Optimus asked.

"When we were attacked by the Insecticon while I was reloading the Matrix, when Megatron attacked us with the missile and when we saved you," Jack answered.

"The problem is: she spends more time putting other people's feelings ahead of her own. It's why she's almost getting killed all the time," Bulkhead pointed out.

"Why did I have to have a stubborn sister?" Jack grumbled to himself.

"Why does she always shut down like this?" Raf wanted to know, earning some bleeps from Bumblebee.

"Translation?" Jack and Miko pressed.

"He said she thinks she's protecting us by hiding the truth from us," Ratchet translated before glancing after Talida worriedly, "I'm personally waiting for the day she realizes that it is going to do her more harm than good."

* * *

If there's one thing MECH's good at, it's causing complete and utter chaos. This was proven by them installing Bumblebee's T-Cog into their own Transformer. Project Chimera was a work-in-progress ever since their first alien encounter. MECH was only interested in two things: power and total world domination. They weren't willing to let anything stand in the way of their conquests. Everyone remembers what Silas had once said before,

"_**A few human lives are a small price to pay for a miracle of science.**_"

"Commence beta test," Silas instructed.

The surgeon typed in a few commands and the result more than just satisfying. First, the hand stretched out its fingers before clenching its fist multiple times. The whirring of circuitry coming to life filled the ears of everyone in the room. The veins and protoforms that were uncovered glowed a bright shade of green.

"Instillation's complete," the surgeon reported, "Commencing scan."

Silas stepped back when bright blue beams sprouted out of the robot's optics. They watched as the beams scanned the shape and colour of the helicopter nearby. Once everything about the helicopter was scanned into its system, the beams disappeared. The computer that was being operated by the MECH surgeon pinged to indicate the success of the scan.

"Scan successful," the surgeon decreed, "Commencing transformation."

Now THIS was where everything started going downhill for Project Chimera. Instillation of all the necessary parts including Bumblebee's T-Cog: successful. Beta test: successful. Scan of the Transformer's new vehicle form: successful. Transformation into said vehicle form…

Not so much.

Manic laughter could be heard from outside the warehouse they were hiding in. When they looked outside, they saw the white-and-silver painted former Seeker. With ease, Starscream pushed the doors wide open and let himself into the base.

"You are the ones that turned poor Breakdown into a pitiful science experiment?!" Starscream cackled in disbelief, "Didn't learn much from the experiment, did you?"

Clicks could be heard before dozens of red target lasers were pointed at him. Starscream looked around and saw that every single MECH operative in the room – except for Silas – were pointing their guns at him ready to fire. Operatives were coming from every level in every direction known to man. Silas, not one known for getting his hands dirty, just stood there casually.

"Enough to know where the soft spots are, Decepticon," Silas sneered.

"Oh please. I am no longer affiliated with that entity. Besides, if I were here to avenge the big lug, you would be screaming for mercy by now," Starscream smirked.

Silas couldn't help but realize that the Decepticon rogue was, in fact, correct. Everyone would be dead or pleading for mercy had he come to avenge Breakdown. Inwardly shuddering at the mere thought, he pushed forward.

"Why are you here?" Silas wanted to know.

"To propose an alliance. You see, we have much more in common than you think. And I am not merely referring to our battle scars," Starscream answered.

"What could I possibly gain from such an arrangement?" Silas asked.

Remembering what happened last time when he made a deal with Airachnid, Silas knew that it was better to ask the questions now than to regret it later.

Starscream, more than apply to answer, said two simple words, "Insider knowledge."

Having heard enough, Silas raised his hand. But it wasn't to open fire. Instead, it was a signal that instructed the crew to stand down. Unlike many others, he wasn't one to shoot first and ask questions later unless the situation called for it. He was willing to hear out the full proposition Starscream was offering to MECH. If he tried anything or he didn't like the idea…

THEN he could shoot him.

"Wise choice," Starscream complimented, "Now, a T-Cog isn't _technology_. It is _biology_. Which means it will reject any power source other than Energon."

"Go on," Silas encouraged. So far, he was liking where this was going.

"Energon is the fuel, the ammunition and the lifeblood of all Cybertronians. Whatever their affiliation. You and I both want it. And currently, I lack the means of locating it. But once I supply you with the…," Starscream winced as he scratched himself, staining his clawed finger with his own Energon, "Particulars of its chemical makeup."

Starscream pressed the Energon-stained finger against the hole where the Transformer's heart would be. They heard the purring of the machine as it came to life again, stronger than it was when on the previous power source MECH had it running on. Silas couldn't help but admit. The knowledge Starscream was supplying was fascinating…so far. Right now, he was waiting for the catch.

"We can utilize your considerable resources to devise the means of detecting new deposits for us to share," Starscream said with a smirk on his face.

"If the supply meets MECH's rather significant demand," Silas retorted.

"Ahhh… Intending to build an army, are you? I am no stranger to ambition," Starscream growled with a smirk on his face.

* * *

Back at the Autobot base, Ratchet was doing everything he could to locate the lost T-Cog. However, the task was easier said than done. Because he also had to multitask with watching over the latest addition to the Autobot family as he slept. Plus, he had to contend with Bumblebee, who wouldn't leave him alone?

"Optimus and Bulkhead haven't reported in yet," Ratchet sighed in frustration, "Bumblebee! I will let you know the moment I hear something! …oh! For Primus sake! Will someone keep him occupied so I can get some work done and Cayden can get some sleep?! Not you, Talida! I am not letting you off that oxygen until you're oxygen intakes are at a suitable level when that ventilator is completely empty!"

"But I'm-," Talida began to protest as she went to remove her mask.

"Ah ah ah!" Miko chided as she secured the mask back on Talida's face, "That attack you had was one of the worst ones you've had yet! It's different for you! Techno-organics are prone to these attacks."

"Where did you learn this?" Miko asked.

"Believe it or not, I paid attention to Ratchet's rambling," Miko laughed.

"Hey, dad. How about a video game?" Raf offered.

Willing to have a distraction, Bumblebee went to join his son. Satisfied with the knowledge that Talida would keep her mask on, Miko rejoined the race with Raf. When Bumblebee watched what they were doing, he almost did a face palm. Considering it was the only video game they had, Miko and Raf were racing. Realizing that it was only making things worse for Bumblebee, they opted to do something else.

"Ooooh… Bad call," Miko cringed before noticing Talida going to say something, "Ah ah ah! Mask stays on!"

"You're worse than Jack," Talida grumbled, although no one was able to understand it due to the mask.

"Sorry," Raf apologized.

"It's OK," Bumblebee reassured him as he knew Raf didn't mean it.

"Hey! No big deal! That game's lame!" Miko decreed as she tossed the controller aside and grabbed the television remote, "What do you say we watch some TV?"

However, when Miko switched channels, it didn't help the current situation at all.

"_The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It'll transform it._"

Studying the facial expressions everyone else was wearing, Talida couldn't help but say through the mask, "We just can't win, can we?"

"I GIVE UP!" Bumblebee decreed as he held his head in his hands and left.

"Taking the auto out of Autobot: so not a good thing," Miko remarked, earning a nod in agreement from Talida as she checked the levels in the ventilator, "Almost done."

"Dad, come on! You're just as amazing without wheels! I mean, speed isn't everything!" Raf said.

However, just as he said it, Arcee came speeding into the base accompanied by Jack. At the centre of the room, she came skidding to a stop, falling on her front wheel before landing on both. This action didn't disturb Cayden, who remained asleep. As Optimus and Arcee tended to say, Cayden was able to sleep through anything. Maybe even a Decepticon invasion.

"Personal best, Arcee! You made 120 easy!" Jack gushed excitedly, upsetting Bumblebee.

"Uh-oh," Jack and Arcee muttered. This would not be good.

"Jack, do me a favor and hop off so I can see my son," Arcee requested.

"Oh. Right. Sorry," Jack apologized as he hopped off.

"Bumblebee! Where do you think you're going?!" Ratchet asked the retreating scout.

"I'm going for a walk," Bumblebee answered casually.

"You can't just go out for a walk! We are robots in disguise! Leaving the base in this form puts you at risk of being seen! And of us being discovered! You just have to remain in the silo until…," Ratchet stopped as Bumblebee shrugged his hand off his shoulder.

"Until what?! Until you can fix me?! Because you did such a good job last time!" Bumblebee snarled before walking away.

"Yes, Bumblebee. Until I can fix you," Ratchet whispered sadly.

He knew that what Bumblebee said were simply words of anger. He didn't mean it. That didn't make it hurt any less than it did.

* * *

The next day, Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf went to school like any other day. Despite being at the school for a week with their injuries, Jack and Talida still get asked if they would allow random students to sign the plaster cast on their arms. They all hoped that soon, they would able to have it removed and be fully recovered. Talida carried a ventilator with her at all times in case an attack occurred. The classes that she didn't have with Jack, she had with Sierra. She always made sure she immediately used the mask whenever she did have an attack.

Currently, Raf and Talida were sitting on the doorsteps of Jasper High waiting. They didn't know who was going to pick them up and they didn't know when. Then…they heard the sounds of an ambulance siren and saw the flashing lights. Immediately, Raf and Talida grabbed their belongings and raced towards the red and white ambulance. Opening the door, Talida helped Raf into the car before hopping in herself.

"In you go," Ratchet chided.

"Thanks for the lift home, friend of Jack's mum who works at the hospital!" Raf said loudly as they pulled out before turning to his mother, "I don't know how you do it."

"It takes practice," Talida shrugged.

"Where are the others?" Ratchet asked.

"Jack's at work after his boss made him switch shifts," Talida began.

"And Miko's in detention…again," Raf finished with a knowing sigh.

"Hey. What happened to Bulkhead?" Talida asked, remembering that the former Wrecker was supposed to pick them up.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you two. But he's on watch duty," Ratchet answered with an awkward silence following, "You wanna ride with the siren on?"

"No thank you," Raf immediately answered when Talida shook her head.

* * *

Back at base, an alarm was blaring. Bulkhead and Bumblebee immediately observed it.

"This could be it. I'll alert the others," Bulkhead decided.

"But we can handle it!" Bumblebee protested.

"I know we can handle it, Bumblebee. But that's no reason to… Oh! What are you trying to prove?" Bulkhead sighed, earning a sigh from the Autobot scout, "Alright. But if Arcee goes to slit our throat cables or Optimus tortures us like Megatron because we left a one-week-old sparkling alone in the base to fend for himself, I'm blaming you."

* * *

Ratchet, Raf and Talida fell into silence once again as they drove through the streets of Jasper.

"Had any attacks?" Ratchet asked.

"One. But it was minor. Only needed my asthma medication," Talida shrugged.

"Ratchet…what happened to dad's voice box?" Raf suddenly asked, causing everyone to go quiet.

"Don't your parents talk to you about it?" Ratchet grumbled.

"Dad never likes to talk about it and mum says she only knows minor details," Raf answered.

"It was…severely damaged in battle," Ratchet said.

"How?" Raf demanded.

"How do you think? Tragically, of course," Ratchet scoffed before beginning the story, "It happened at Tyger Pax. Our brave scout was captured by Megatron's forces and interrogated. But he refused to provide Intel and paid a grave price for his courage. Bumblebee was left for scrap. But Autobot troops, led by Optimus and Arcee who were searching for the boy they raised, found him and evacuated him to a triage facility where a field medic was able to stabilize his condition."

"So…we owe Dad's life to that field medic," Raf surmised, "And Optimus and Arcee since they were the ones that were found him."

"That's…one way of looking at it, I suppose. Though the medic…could have done better," Ratchet said sadly.

It wasn't hard for Talida to figure out the truth in the story. In fact, she knew it. She knew the full story behind the loss of Bumblebee's voice box. She knew that Optimus and Arcee were the ones that found him beaten and broken. She knew that Ratchet was the medic that was entrusted in saving Bumblebee's life. She knew that he still blamed himself to this day for being unable to repair his voice box.

There were many things that Talida wished for. But there was one wish that almost topped the list.

She wished that Ratchet would stop blaming himself for something that was beyond control.

* * *

"Clear," Bulkhead reported after jumping through the GroundBridge, causing Bumblebee to follow, "I still don't know how you talked me into this. You're worse than Miko."

"It's not like there's gonna be a high-speed pursuit!" Bumblebee reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I know. Not every mission ends in a high-speed pursuit. Without your…" Bulkhead cut himself short.

"Quit while you're ahead," Bumblebee warned as he glared at the medic.

"OK. I'll drop it," Bulkhead relented, "Remember. If Optimus finds out, this was NOT my idea. And I think I've already told you enough times what will happen to us if Optimus and Arcee find out we've left Cayden home alone. He's a week old!"

"I won't tell if you don't," Bumblebee promised Bulkhead, causing Bulkhead to shudder at how alike he sounded to Talida there.

"You sure your relationship with Talida's not incest?" Bulkhead randomly asked, earning a punch from Bumblebee before he was distracted by the beeping scanner, "Signal's coming from over there. And it's coming our way! Fast!"

"Catch me if you can!" Knock Out challenged as he sped past them.

"I'll get him!" Bulkhead vowed…before Breakdown came out of the cave, "OK! You get him!"

"I'm on it!" Bumblebee decreed as he ran away while Bulkhead and Breakdown began their battle.

* * *

Bumblebee managed to follow the Decepticon medic onto the nearby highway. Knock Out couldn't help but be amused by the manner of the ongoing chase. Gaining speed, he created more miles between himself and the Autobot scout. But Bumblebee was relentless. He was going to let the lack-of T-Cog bring him down.

"Sporting of you," Knock Out smirked as he gained even more speed.

Now Bumblebee was really at a loss. He couldn't catch Knock Out on foot. And…after trying a few times, he couldn't activate his Energon stingers.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Bumblebee moaned.

"You're not even gonna _try_ and shoot up my tires?!" Knock Out said in disbelief as he skidded to a stop, "Bumblebee, where's your famous horse power, huh?! Show me some speed!"

Bumblebee clenched his fists in anger as he ran towards the smart-ass 'Con. Unfortunately, Knock Out sped away as soon as he was close enough to hit him. An idea beginning to form in his mind, Bumblebee grabbed a beaten-up Ute. Slamming it on the road and pushing against it, he jumped onto the back of it. Using his weight, he made the old Ute travel at high speeds and control the turns. Sparks flew off of the two rear hubcaps where the tires once were. Nevertheless, catching up to Knock Out was an easy task. If Knock Out wasn't amused before, he certainly was now.

"What is with the rent-a-car?!" Knock Out cackled in amusement, smirking as the car began to fall apart under Bumblebee's weight, "I'd stick around and drive doughnuts around you! But I have a delivery to make!"

In the back seat, Malita seemed to hold some kind of a Cybertronian magical stick. It was the Iacon relic that Bulkhead and Bumblebee detected at the base. She held on to the handles above her as Knock Out made a sharp turn around the bend. Looking out the window, she secretly hoped that Bumblebee would too.

Bumblebee made the turn. However, it wasn't the right turn. He broke through the barrier that was situated near the road that prevented cars from going over the cliff. It didn't work for him. The white, broken Ute fell to the ground below…

Followed by Bumblebee.

_**To be continued…**_

"_I'm hangin' on another day.  
__Just to see what you throw my way.  
__And I'm hanging on to the words you say.  
__You said that I will be OK…_

_The broken lights on the freeway,  
__Left me here alone.  
__I may have lost my way now.  
__Haven't forgotten my way home…_

_I'm falling apart… I'm barely breathing…  
__With a broken heart… That's barely beating…  
__In the pain (in the pain), is there healing…  
__In your name (in your name), I find meaning…_

_I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm barely holdin' on to you…_

_I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm holdin' on… (I'm still holdin'…)  
__I'm barely holdin' on to you…_"

* * *

**OH MY GOD! BUMBLEBEE!**

**Trailer for next chapter coming up!**

* * *

_Shows MECH removing Bumblebee's T-Cog_

_Shows MECH trying to operate their own Transformer_

_Shows Optimus climbing up an icy cliff face_

_**Next time in Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_Ratchet: WHAT?! BUMBLEBEE AND TALIDA CAN'T DO THAT!_

_Shows Knock Out and Breakdown retreating through a GroundBridge_

_**It's the thrilling conclusion to Operation: Bumblebee…**_

_Talida: Go for it, Bee!_

_Shows Bumblebee jumping onto MECH's transformer and reaches inside_

_Optimus: AUTOBOTS! Prepare to roll out!  
_

_Shows Bumblebee trying to protect Talida as MECH shot at them_

_Starscream: Energon will do wonders to our army!_

_Silas: It's working…_

_Show Knock Out blocking Optimus' and Arcee's attack with a shield_

_Show Bumblebee throwing a boulder at MECH insurgents_

_Talida: BUMBLEBEE!_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_

_**More coming soon…**_

_**Only on fanfiction…**_

* * *

**There's that and more coming soon. …HEY! WHEELJACK'S COMING BACK SOON! WHOO!**

**BYE!**


	2. Operation: Bumblebee Part 2

**Phew. After posting a chapter for another story that's over 30 pages and 10000 words long, I have to show my love for you by posting this chapter. Man. A writer's work is never done… And I began writing this chapter on my 16****th**** birthday. So that's how much I love you all.**

**REVIEW REPLES!  
**

**Abyss Prime: **_**Whohoo! Love it! I WANT MORE! UPDATE! PLEASE! I will destroy all MECH agents, then I will destroy the 'Cons. You can help if you want… ***__**holds out rocket launcher in tempting motion**__*****_

***grabs rocket launcher***** You had me at MECH.**

**devildog452: **_**Keep them coming.**_

**I'll try my best.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**Awesome chapter! Bulkhead is so funny in this chapter! Keep up the good work! :D**_

**When isn't Bulkhead funny?!**

**Tellingitlikeitis1541: **_**Yay,you're back **__** Good chapter so far. ***__**thumbs up**__*****_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_*****__**cheers**__*** WAHOOO! Talida Prime: Rising Storms is here baby! Oh I always wanted to beat thieving daylights out of KO in this episode. Wait I thought Malita was going to switch sides? Is she going to do it secretly and help the Autobots when nobody's looking and then just pretend to be a 'Con or something like that? Anyway UPDATE SOON!**_

**Well, as Megatron said, Malita is currently skating on thin ice after **_**Fading Light**_**. So…you're gonna have to wait and see.**

**Link's Rose: **_**It can't be transformers animated! I looked it up on Wikipedia, and I saw a preview on YouTube! Stupid Shockwave was in it… And then on Wikipedia it called it Beast Hunters, and that seemed to fit with what I saw in the video. But it said on February 15**__**th**__**.**_

**First of all, NEVER trust Wikipedia unless the information comes from a reliable source first. And it's been confirmed by practically everyone that the website that released the news was just a misplacing of the rerun for Transformers: Animated. Second of all, wait until The Hub themselves confirm it. If The Hub themselves say that it's true, that's the only way we'll truly know for sure.**

**megatronus: **_**oppy it was bees fault*points to bee***_

_**#WHAT#**_

_**sorry bee**_

_**arcee: ***__**glares at me**__*****_

_**so up date soon and umm help holden because megs is chasing him again.**_

_**Holden: SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

***holds guns at Megatron***** You feeling lucky, punk?**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Yay! You're back! Hooray! Poor Bumble Bee. He is not useless! Please update! Wonder what adventures await this time?**_

**That's for me to know and you to find out.**

**AlphaTrion3145: (1) **_**'Sneaky bastard'… You did that on Purpose didn't you?!**_

**Yep.**

**(2) **_**WAIT, Talida's not a virgin… I thought she was with Bumbl- oh yeah Raf!  
**_

**Thought you'd figure it out.**

**haloangel21: **_** Loved how you started this chapter with Operation Bumblebee: Part 1. Oh, to answer your questions about the sequel to Deep, I'm almost finished! I'm hoping I will be able to finish by Tuesday before I have my finals. It's…close to 9,000 words :P (I wonder why…)**_

**I get what you mean. My latest chapter for another story was over 10000 words.**

**CDSTeridaxPrime: **_**By writing a Ratchet&Talida Smut… It seems logical to also write a Bumblebee&Talida smut also.**_

**I'll think about it.**

**NASSkyquake: **_**I agree with my sparkmate Teridax(Yes I'm a Femme, Skyquake is merely just my codename) it could also be Bumblebee's dream, you connect the dots.**_

**Again, I'll think about it.**

**Guest: **_**GOSH THIS IS AMAZING keep up the good work and update soon please **_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot StarRacer: **_**"Bee and Talida can't do that!" ***__**snickers**__*** I have a dirty mind. I just realized something…Bee is Raf's dad so that means… HOLY MOTHER OF PRIMUS RAF IS A TECHNO-ORGANIC! Wow I'm slow haha UPDATE SOON OR I WILL SICK RATCHET WITH WRENCHES, IRONHIDE AND HIS CANNONS, AND MEGATRON ON YOU! ***__**poofs away**__*****_

…**MUMMY!**

**optoclaw: **_**hey Icegirl, I've read all of the Talida storys and what you have of strange beginnings so far. LOVEIN IT! anyway it looks like hasbro's going to have another TRANSFEBRUARY! The new season is going to be called TRANSFORMERS PRIME: BEAST HUNTERS! And from what I saw on the site I got the information from it's going to preview febuary 15, 2013. Anyway nice storys ***__**gives infa bascket full of every goodie in the world**__*** that'll never run out. Read my storys and don't hesitate to use my OC's. MAN, this is hard to wright on the playstation 3! YOLO SWAG!**_

**Wait until The Hub confirms it. That's the only way we're going to know for sure. The minute The Hub comes out with the release date, we'll know. Don't trust Wikipedia and any other website until the Hub confirms it.**

**I can't tell you guys how much I can enforce this one very simple statement. WAIT FOR THE HUB TO CONFIRM IT THEMSELVES! If The Hub doesn't release the real release date or concur with one that's been released, then it's not real! The Hub says season 3 isn't gonna premiere until Spring 2013. So it's not coming in February since its still winter last time I checked. Look. I'm sorry to do this to you guys. But I just wanna make this clear. Heck. The Hub themselves say it's Spring 2013. So I'm gonna believe them and wait until they come out with a definite release date.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Somewhere I Belong**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and their respective record label.**

**Yep! That's right! Linkin Park is back, baby! WHOO! I promised myself I'd use more of their songs! So far, I'm keeping true to my word. Yeah. I know. **_**Somewhere I Belong**_** is an old song of theirs. But you know what people say. An oldie, but a goodie. I believe that this saying applies to that song. Because…I personally like the song and I'm sure you guys do to. And…well, Linkin Park songs are literally the anthems of multiple Transformers franchises.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_(When this began.)  
__I had nothing to say.  
__And I get lost in the nothingness inside of me.  
__(I was confused.)  
__And I let it all out to find,  
__That I'm not the only person with these things in mind.  
__(Inside of me.)  
__But all that they can see the words revealed,  
__Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel.  
__(Nothing to lose.)  
__Just stuck, hollow and alone.  
__And the fault is my own.  
__And the fault is my own._

_I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__What I thought was never real…  
__I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long…  
__(Erase all the pain till it's gone!)  
__I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__Like I'm close to something real…  
__I wanna find something I've wanted all along…  
__Somewhere I belong…_"

_Previously on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…_

"_Ratchet, what happened to Dad's voice box?" Raf asked._

"_Our brave scout was captured by Megatron's forces and interrogated. Bumblebee was left for scrap where a field medic was able to stabilize his condition. Though the medic could have done better," Ratchet told the story._

_Show Bumblebee getting stunned by the blast and MECH agents removing his T-Cog_

"_By the AllSpark! Bumblebee's T-Cog isn't damaged! It's missing!" Ratchet gasped in horror._

"_Is that like a T-Bone?" Miko asked._

"_It's the organ that allows us to scan vehicles and transform," Arcee corrected._

"_Why are you here?" Silas asked Starscream._

"_To propose an alliance. A T-Cog isn't __**technology**__. It is __**biology**__," Starscream corrected._

"_We possess two more coordinates, which Orion decrypted before departing our ranks. Let us see what other long lost treasures we might be reunited with," Megatron smirked._

_Show Bumblebee falling over the edge of the road_

"Of all the scrap ideas, taking Bumblebee into a potential chase scenario without the ability to access his wheels!" Ratchet growled at Bulkhead, his blue optics displaying malice that would strike fear into Megatron.

"Uh…he improvised," Bulkhead shrugged casually.

"He has a fiancée and a son who need him! The former recovering from trauma! Not to mention the fact that you two left a week-old sparkling along to fend for himself!" Ratchet snapped.

"I have every mind to tear off your plating and remove your spikes," Arcee threatened casually, "And I'm sure Optimus won't stop me."

"We knew that Ratchet, Talida and Raf weren't far behind! He would've been fine!" Bulkhead defended himself.

"REGARDLESS!" Ratchet and Arcee yelled.

"Look! He's waking up!" Talida cried in relief.

"What happened?" Bumblebee whirred as he sat up and opened his optics.

"You've already lost your voice box and your T-Cog! Were you really trying to add your spark to the list?!" Ratchet asked rhetorically, "Were you really trying to give your family heart attacks?!"

"Don't say that, Dad! You're not useless!" Raf immediately protested to Bumblebee's latest bleeps.

"I'm useless if I can't protect my family!" Bumblebee retorted, silencing Raf's protests, the young boy knowing that he wouldn't be able to win.

"Look. I hate to break up the pity party," Arcee began as she stepped forward in the process of giving Cayden his low-grade from a small metal bottle, "But the Decepticons just added unknown Iacon pay grade number 2 to their armory!"

"Neither blame or praise will modify past events," Optimus cut in as he too stepped forward.

"Here we go! Wise Prime! So which one of us is going to almost get killed this time?!" Talida asked in exasperation.

"Talida," Optimus warned.

"What? It's true, dad!" Talida defended herself, "Want me to bring up the evidence again? Because I'm more than happy too."

'_She's still mad,_' Optimus sighed in his head before saying, "As I was saying, we can't afford to take anymore unnecessary risks. Bumblebee, you are not to leave our base. Not until we can retrieve your missing bio mechanism."

As Ratchet saw Optimus walk away, he made up his mind on a life changing decision. He knew the chances of Bumblebee getting his T-Cog back were slim. And he knew that the young scout would go stir crazy like him if he had to spend the rest of his existence confined within the walls of the secret silo. So when Optimus went to walk away, he didn't hesitate to follow.

"Bumblebee is right to be less than hopeful. You and I both know another way exists to make him whole again," Ratchet said to Optimus knowingly.

"A transplant," Optimus concurred as he continued to walk away, "But that would require a donor."

"You need look no further then the Autobot standing before you," Ratchet decreed, causing Optimus to look at his old friend in surprise.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_And I've got nothing to say.  
__I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face.  
__(I was confused.)  
__Looking everywhere only to find,  
__That it's not the way I had imagined it all in my mind.  
__(So what am I?)  
__What do I have but negativity?  
_'_Cause I can't justify the way, everyone is looking at me.  
__(Nothing to lose.)  
__Nothing to gain, hollow and alone.  
__And the fault is my own.  
__And the fault is my own._

_I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__What I thought was never real…  
__I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long…  
__(Erase all the pain till it's gone.)  
__I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__Like I'm close to something real…  
__I wanna find something I've wanted all along…  
__Somewhere I belong…_"

"A generous offer, old friend. But your solution would merely trade one Autobot's handicap for another's," Optimus objected.

"I don't rely upon my T-Cog like Bumblebee does. The ability to transform is truly wasted on me. This is where I spend my days. Where my thoughts and my hands are of value. Not my weapons or my wheels. Our team can't afford to be shy even one warrior in the field And with Cayden's recent birth, Arcee would be dividing her time between being a warrior in the field and raising the son she shares with you much like you did with Talida," Ratchet continued to persist.

Optimus couldn't suppress the chuckle that escaped his mouth plates. He was right. When Talida was born, he had to literally be dragged into the field. Glancing at Arcee, he knew that she would be the same way with Cayden. Much like human females, Cybertronian femmes despised being apart from their sparklings. And watching the way she was with Cayden as she fed him, he knew that she would be the same way.

"You make a compelling case. But know that we will find Bumblebee's T-Cog," Optimus vowed.

"Optimus, MECH are savages. Who knows what damage they may have already inflicted on it or…if I may ever be able to repair it," Ratchet sighed sadly.

THAT was when Optimus figured out Ratchet's true motives behind his idea. Even to this day, he still blamed himself for not repairing Bumblebee's voice box. Despite nobody else blaming him knowing that he did everything in his power to make him whole again, he still blamed himself.

"Ratchet, you did everything you could," Optimus sighed.

"Oh! Please! Do you really think this is simply about my inability to restore Bumblebee's voice box?!" Ratchet scoffed, "I just want to do right for our scout. For the team."

* * *

"Ah, excellent work, Knock Out," Megatron complimented.

"I live to serve, Lord Megatron," Knock Out bowed while Malita just rolled her eyes next to him, "But what exactly is it?"

Megatron didn't respond. Instead, he charged his canon and fired a single shot. Knock Out yelped as he held the device up in front of him. Surprisingly, the device formed a shield as he moved his arm and reflected the shot.

"Now you know," Megatron shrugged casually.

"I think I leaked a little transmission fluid," Knock Out confessed sheepishly.

"Daughter, I shall like to speak with you in private," Megatron requested as he left, "Anyone who disturbs us will have their sparks carved out."

"I can't even begin to think of what he's doing to her," Knock Out sighed worriedly, remembering the amount of wounds he had to treat ever since her attempted betrayal in the mines. **(AN: Anyone wanna take a guess? Maybe…write their opinions?)**

* * *

"Source located."

Thanks to Starscream, MECH knew how to locate Energon deposits. After locating one, they moved to the location and scoured the area. Naturally, Starscream insisted on coming along. Downside for MECH is, he wouldn't shut up.

"Yes. Gratifying isn't it, Silas? I often advised Megatron to seek out human allies. After all, it seems to provide the Autobots an occasional edge," Starscream pointed out, "But all he did was rape a human female which resulted in the birth of Malita. Despite his reputation as a brilliant strategist, Megatron is woefully small-minded when it comes to working with minds smaller than our own. …He was simply referring to head size."

"Do you ever not speak?" Silas asked impatiently as he walked off.

"Did I mention how I extinguished an Autobot?" Starscream boasted to the remaining MECH agent, only to have him walk away. When Starscream followed, he saw that they have found the deposit, "Energon in its purest state."

"Ready to be mined," Silas smirked.

"And processed," Starscream piped in, "My flesh-covered compatriot, to give us the edge."

* * *

"Obviously, since I'm the other patient involved, I will be unable to perform the surgery. Therefore, one of you must serve as my proxy," Ratchet declared.

Just before, Ratchet had announced his intentions to the other Autobots. While they protested against the idea – with Bumblebee protesting more than the others – the medic wouldn't back down. And they knew better than to argue. Once Ratchet had his mind set on something, there was no way to talk him out of it. However, as Ratchet stated before, he would be unable to perform the surgery due to the fact that he was one of the patients involved in the procedure. Naturally, he would choose one of the Autobots to do it for him as he had given them medical training in case a situation like this arose or they were injured in the field with no way of reaching a medic.

Ratchet walked up to Bulkhead and said, "Mm-mm. Better at breaking things."

Bulkhead immediately let out a sigh of relief at Ratchet's declaration.

Walking up to Talida, Ratchet decreed, "Would easily fall into my circuits. But you're welcome to serve as an assistant."

"Haha! Suck!" Miko cackled.

"I could easily volunteer you," Talida retorted, causing her dear friend to shut up.

When Ratchet walked up to the last remaining candidate, he made up his mind, "Arcee."

"Optimus has steadier hands!" Arcee objected.

"Steady," Ratchet concurred, "And much too large to be rooting around beneath my hood."

"Hey. If I have to suffer doing this, so do you," Talida decreed, "We're a team, remember? The best one Team Prime's got."

"What makes you say that?" Miko asked.

"You should seriously see them in the field together," was all Jack said to Miko.

"But what about Cayden? Who's gonna watch him in case Optimus gets called out?" Arcee asked.

"He's in good hands, Arcee. He's perfectly safe," Bulkhead promised.

"Arcee, you can do this. You're as steely as they come," Jack reassured her.

"On a battlefield. Not in an operating theatre," Arcee retorted.

"Same thing as long as you're behind the knife. Not under it," Jack shot back.

"Does this mean Bumblebee's gonna transform into an ambulance from now on and be all cranky? 'Cause that will be weird," Miko remarked.

"Once the new T-Cog is inside Bumblebee's body, he'll have to rescan his vehicle form. Luckily, I've kept them all in case this happens," Talida sighed in relief, "Speaking of cars, I still have that Ferrari I originally got for Wheeljack."

"How do you get them?" Miko wanted to know.

"Trust me when I say you don't wanna know," was all Talida answered.

* * *

Hours later, Ratchet and Bumblebee were hooked up to multiple machines and Arcee and Talida were ready to go.

"Inducing stasis," Arcee reported.

"Thank you, Ratchet," Bumblebee thanked the medic lying in the berth next to him.

"You can thank me when it's over," Ratchet murmured before slipping into stasis.

"OK, Bumblebee. You're turn," Arcee decreed.

"See you on the other side," Talida joked.

"Ha ha," Bumblebee laughed sarcastically before a series of alarms began going off.

"What's happening?!" Raf asked.

"Ratchet's flat lining!" Miko cried.

"No he isn't!" Arcee objected.

"It's another Iacon alert!" Talida corrected.

"Oh… Right," Miko muttered sheepishly, hitting Jack on the head when he began laughing.

"If we're picking up the signal, it means the 'Cons have unearthed another relic!" Bulkhead realized.

"Autobots, prepare to roll out!" Optimus instructed.

"Yes!" Arcee cheered quietly.

"That was a close one," Talida remarked.

"Except for our patients," Optimus added, noticing how eagerly Bumblebee stood up, "It would be best to interrupt stasis. Talida, you're in charge."

"Hey, Ratchet. When you wake up, how about declaring me fit for duty?" Talida suggested to the still-unconscious Ratchet.

"You're wrist is still broken and you're lungs still have another seven weeks to recover," Jack reminded her, "It's like I said…"

"I know, I know. We're not on Cybertron anymore. Can you just shut up?" Talida asked impatiently.

"Why don't you try actually taking my advice instead of waving it off like it's nothing?" Jack retorted.

"What do you know? You're not a warrior. You haven't been out in the field in the same situations I have been. You know nothing," Talida growled.

"I know enough," Jack snarled.

"STOP ARGUING!" Miko and Raf snapped.

"WE'RE NOT ARGUING!" Jack and Talida snapped back.

"_Prime! Breaking news!_"

Immediately, Bumblebee raced to the screens and took the call. Unfortunately for Bumblebee, like Jack and Miko, Fowler didn't understand what he was saying.

"_Huh? Where's Prime?_"

"I'm down here!" Talida called.

"_Prime senior! …Look. Let him know I just received access to satellite imagery, which pinpoints the centre of operations of MECH. …Oh, for the love of! Get me someone who speaks something other than bleep!_"

"Hello! Fowler!" Talida yelled, "We're right here!"

"We can help," Raf offered.

"What?! Do I hear a fuzor in need of voice box repair?!"

The eyes of Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf widened when they heard Ratchet's voice. Luckily for Miko and Talida, Talida's phone was recording the entire thing already. Perfect for blackmail.

"_What's a fuzor?! What's going on over there?!_"

Ratchet sat up in his induced-stasis state rambling, "I am able! Just ask Bantor! He was all mandrel before I put a tiger in his tank!"

As Ratchet fell back onto the metal berth unconscious, Fowler's facial expression clearly read, 'WTF?!' Cayden's endless giggles echoed around the room. Clearly, the week-old sparkling found the moment highly amusing. Talida was laughing along with him…until she heard Bumblebee bleep the following,

"I have to go stop MECH."

"But dad! You heard what Optimus said about leaving the base," Raf immediately objected.

"I'll go with him," Talida decided.

"But your lungs are still too weak!" Raf protested.

"Raf, we can do this," Bumblebee reassured his son, "We have to do this."

"Send the coordinates, Agent Fowler. We'll make sure Optimus gets them," Jack promised, earning a smile and a nod from the man on the screen.

"_Done. And Jack, Talida, tell your mother I said hi._"

Miko and Raf laughed as Jack and Talida cringed in disgust at the last words. Everyone knew that Fowler and June were well on their way to starting a relationship together with June gaining the courage to move on from her deceased husband and Fowler having finalized the divorce and custody settlements with his now ex-wife before the incident involving Unicron. For the two of them, it was only a matter of time…

Before Jack and Talida wind up with a stepfather.

* * *

Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead were now scaling an icy mountain to where they picked up the relic's signal. Optimus was the first to reach the top of the mountain. Arcee and Bulkhead were quick to follow. What they saw was confusing. They saw Knock Out and Breakdown standing at the site. Breakdown was beating at the ground with his hammer to reach the Iacon relic. What they unveiled was another hammer. One that Optimus knew very well.

"I don't get it. All this chipping away with my hammer…just to bring Megatron another hammer?" Breakdown said in confusion. **(AN: Oh, how I miss you, Breakdown…)**

"That hammer is a sacred relic of the Thirteen Original Primes," Optimus corrected.

"Really?!" Bulkhead said in surprise.

"Isn't that the opposite of Decepticon doomsday device?" Arcee asked.

"It would stand to reason that in addition to confiscated Decepticon artillery, any artifacts of great significance from the Vaults of Iacon would have been shipped off world. And none would be greater than this. The Forge of Solus Prime, for it holds the power to mystically infuse material with working mechanisms," Optimus explained.

"As in, if we had it, we could pound any weapon we dream of into existence?!" Bulkhead surmised.

"Or possibly construct a new T-Cog for Bumblebee," Optimus added, his intentions clear, "And maybe a required necessity or two for Cayden."

* * *

"Initiate transfusion," Silas instructed.

The Energon that was in the tube disappeared through the wire and into the Transformer's body. And almost instantly, the results began to show. The response was stronger than it was on the power source MECH originally had it on. Silas couldn't help but be impressed by the results that were being presented before him.

"It's working!" Silas gasped.

"The Energon will do wonders to our future army!" Starscream decreed before noticing the look that Silas was giving him, "_Your_ future army. In fact, we are mere moments from beholding the miracle of transformation."

_BANG!_

"Not so fast, Screamy Pie!"

"Talida Prime," Silas smirked before noticing the signed cast on her wrist, "You're looking a little worse for wear."

"I trust you didn't come alone," Starscream smirked.

"Got that right," Talida smirked as Bumblebee walked through the hole in the wall they had made.

Suddenly, they heard the clicks of guns and saw every single MECH agent was aiming their guns at the two of them. Unfortunately for them, Starscream had to make it worse.

"No T-Cog. He's unarmed," Starscream decreed.

Without thinking about it, Bumblebee pushed Talida back and jumped into the air, knocking the missile away. Talida took out her Energy Sword and began slicing the guns before effectively punching the MECH agents. Talida glanced between Starscream and Bumblebee on occasion.

"The barrel!" Talida called.

Getting her message, Bumblebee threw the barrel at Starscream, knocking him through the wall. However, he just now had to deal with the other MECH agents.

* * *

Things weren't going just as well for Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead. All they could do was stay there and watch Breakdown break away the rocks covering the forge.

"Let's get a grip," Knock Out smirked.

Without saying a word, Breakdown gripped the giant hammer and went to lift. Engines brought their attention from the hammer to the edge of the cliff. They saw the Autobots approaching them ready to battle for the Forge. Optimus and Arcee were the first to transform and begin their attack. Knock Out used the shield to block their shots. Bulkhead went straight for Breakdown, knocking him close to the cave. As Optimus and Arcee came closer to Knock Out, the Decepticon medic simply used his shield to knock them back. Optimus regained his footing first. When he noticed Arcee struggling, he immediately helped her.

"Autobots, check out my new finish protector!" Knock Out smirked.

* * *

The Transformer began coming to life as Bumblebee and Talida continued to fight MECH. Bumblebee knocked one gun into his only active optic, shattering it. Smirking, Talida jumped up and cut the bonds of a barrel with her sword. Immediately, Bumblebee used it as a bowling ball, effectively knocking over the MECH agents attacking them.

"Strike!" Talida joked with a smirk.

Immediately, Bumblebee jumped up and began ripping the Transformer apart, much to Silas' horror. Reaching inside, Bumblebee pulled out his prize. His T-Cog. However, his joy was short lived. He was hit in the chest by a shot fired by Starscream.

"BUMBLEBEE!" Talida screamed.

"So close and yet…," Starscream smirked.

"Starscream," Talida growled.

"My location and prototype have been compromised. Destroy the intruders and meet me at the rendezvous point with my T-Cog," Starscream instructed before running away.

"COWARDS!" Talida called after them.

"I AM NOT ONE OF YOUR FOOT SOLDIERS! I AM THE CONSULTANT!" Starscream snapped.

Noticing that Bumblebee was beginning to come to, Starscream held his T-Cog up and aimed his canon at him, threatening,

"One step from either of you and your precious biomech is scrap."

Bumblebee and Talida glanced at each other nervously before glaring at Starscream. They knew Starscream to be heartless. But he's no gruel. Well…they thought he wasn't. Now, his actions were making them think differently. However, Starscream's personality wasn't their problem…well, it sort of wasn't. Now, they had a hard choice to make. Reclaim Bumblebee's T-Cog…

Or let MECH finish what they were building.

"You're a monster," Talida snarled.

"Part of the job description, my dear," Starscream smirked.

"How would you feel if we took your T-Cog and didn't give it back?" Talida asked.

That caused Starscream to shut up.

* * *

Back at the base, Ratchet began to awaken from his induced stasis. Immediately, he sat up feeling more exhausted than he was when he went under ages ago.

"Ratchet, how are you feeling?" Jack asked.

"Fine. I feel as though nothing's changed," Ratchet answered, causing Jack, Miko and Raf to glance at each other nervously, "Where's Talida?"

"_Prime!_"

"What is it, Agent Fowler?" Ratchet answered the incoming call.

"_Has Prime reached the coordinates?_"

"Coordinates?" Ratchet repeated in confusion.

"_Possible MECH location! I sent them a half hour ago!_"

"Don't worry, Agent Fowler. It's all taken care of," Jack reassured him.

"Optimus had to go lock fenders with some 'Cons," Miko informed him.

"So Mum and Dad went instead," Raf announced nervously, waiting for the medic to freak out.

"WHAT?!" Ratchet roared in anger and disbelief as he immediately whirled around, "BUMBLEBEE AND TALIDA CAN'T DO THAT! THEY'RE RECOVERING FROM SURGERY AND TRAUMA!"

"…About that…," Raf began sheepishly.

"Don't tell me you never went through with the surgery," Ratchet pleaded.

"OK. Then we won't tell you that Arcee never went through with the surgery and got called out," Miko shrugged.

"DID I JUST TELL YOU NOT TO TELL ME THAT?!" Ratchet snapped.

"…Dude, take a pill," Miko suggested.

"Optimus, Bulkhead and Arcee picked up the signal for an unearthed Iacon relic. So they went to stop the 'Cons from getting yet another relic. Then Fowler radioed in telling us about the possible MECH hideout. So Bumblebee and Talida went to check it out," Jack explained.

"We tried to talk them out of it. You know how stubborn they can be," Raf stated.

"True," Ratchet muttered.

* * *

"Give me my T-Cog or else…," Bumblebee threatened.

"Or else what?" Starscream challenged, "You'll shoot. How sad to be incapable of achieving vehicle mode. Experiencing the sensation of speed. How very pathetic. To be a failure as an Autobot."

"Shut up, Starscream," Talida warned.

"Maybe I'll just go ahead and put your betrothed out of her misery by being associated with you," Starscream suggested as he aimed his weapons at Talida.

"Over my dead body," Bumblebee growled.

Starscream certainly wasn't expecting Bumblebee to run up and punch him. Bumblebee's actions sent his T-Cog flying into the air. Without hesitating, Bumblebee jumped after it. Talida helped by jumping high and grabbing it as well. However, Starscream fired a shot at the T-Cog, sending both the bio mechanism and Talida hurtling towards the ground. Bumblebee was unsuccessful in catching them. When he looked up, he saw his T-Cog pinning his love to the ground by her legs.

"Time to jet! Because I can!" Starscream smirked as he took off.

Now that he was free to, Bumblebee raced towards Talida and his T-Cog. Talida sighed in relief when Bumblebee placed a hand on her back and lifted the T-Cog off her legs. She was lucky that they weren't broken. That would've meant more time confined to the base. Luckily for her, her wrist wasn't broken all over again.

"Bumblebee, I'm sorry," Talida apologized as she saw Bumblebee gaze at his T-Cog sadly.

"I don't blame you," Bumblebee reassured her as he gazed at his T-Cog sadly, "I'm just glad you're safe."

* * *

"My T-Cog," Silas requested when Starscream met up with him.

"Yes. That… Unfortunately it was destroyed in the ferocity of battle," Starscream announced sadly, earning Silas' murderous glare, "A temporary setback. More Autobots. Other T-Cogs. We shall find a replacement soon enough."

"Not soon enough," Silas corrected with a sneer, "Now."

As soon as Starscream heard the guns charge and aim at him, he knew he was in trouble. Bright lights could be seen from the other side of the forest and Starscream's screams could be heard all over as the MECH agent attacked their former consultant and left their mark.

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !_"

* * *

Knock Out was now walking forward with his shield fully operating. Optimus and Arcee had to keep walking backwards or risk getting zapped like they did before. Knock Out intended on forcing them over the edge of the cliff, leaving their newborn son to become an orphan.

"For the most creative use of a shield generator in a supporting role, the winner is…KNOCK OUT!" Knock Out smirked.

Things weren't looking great for Bulkhead either. Just as quickly as he gained the upper hand over Breakdown, he lost it. Bulkhead glanced between Optimus and Arcee who were close to the edge of the cliff and the Forge of Solus Prime. Suddenly, an idea formed in his head. Breakdown went to attack Bulkhead again. However, he froze when he saw Bulkhead pick up the giant hammer with ease.

"Mine's bigger," Bulkhead smirked.

As Breakdown charged at him again, Bulkhead easily knocked him away. Looking up, Knock Out saw in horror as Breakdown came flying towards him. The two crashed into one another, causing Knock Out to lose his shield and saving Optimus and Arcee. Knock Out dove for the shield generator. However, Bulkhead smashed it with the hammer.

However, their victory didn't last for long. Another GroundBridge appeared behind him. The first thing that came out of the portal was a single shot. This shot hit Bulkhead in the back and knocked him to the ground, forcing him to let go of the forge.

"BULKHEAD!" Arcee cried.

The person who fired the shot came through the GroundBridge. It was Megatron. Optimus and Arcee began charging their canons. There was no need to voice how pissed they were at the Decepticon lord. Their body language spoke volumes.

As he grabbed the hammer, Megatron decided to torment then as he aimed his blaster at Bulkhead, "Nuh uh uh..."

With no way out, Optimus and Arcee lowered their canons. It wasn't worth Bulkhead's life.

"A relic of the Prime's here on Earth?! The Decepticon cause is once again indebted to the contributions of Orion Pax," Megatron smirked as he walked through the GroundBridge with Knock Out and Breakdown hot on his heels.

"I'm fine," Bulkhead reassured the worried Arcee, shrugging off her extra worry due to the fact that she is a new mother.

"_Optimus, we have reason to believe we have located MECH's centre of operations. Bumblebee and Talida is already there._"

* * *

Starscream groaned as he came to in the middle of the forest. At first, he was dazed. He didn't know how he winded up where he was. Then he remembered.

"What?!" Starscream gasped as he stood up, walking towards the warehouse.

At first, it was quiet. He saw nothing. Then…he saw the GroundBridge open. Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead were the people that raced through the portal.

"Autobots!" Starscream shuddered as he backed away and went to transform…only to find that he couldn't, "My T-Cog!"

It was then that he remembered the full details of what happened. When Starscream came out and told Silas that Bumblebee's T-Cog was destroyed during the altercation with Bumblebee and Talida, Silas wasn't too happy. Not one to wait for the opportunity to attack another Autobot and steal their T-Cog, Silas ordered his operatives to attack Starscream instead. When Starscream was unconscious, they opened him up, navigated their way through his circuits and stole his T-Cog.

There was no way for him to battle the Autobots in this mortifying manner. Sure. He could fight them and attack them with his missiles. But his advantage over them during their past battles was his ability to transform into a jet. Without that advantage, they could kill him or capture him and hold him as a prisoner of war. So he did something that only a coward was good at.

Run.

* * *

Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead were glancing around the warehouse worriedly. They knew that Bumblebee and Talida were already somewhere in the facility. All they had to do was find them and pray that they didn't arrive too late.

They were slightly relieved when they saw Talida and Bumblebee come out. Giving his daughter a quick once over, Optimus sighed in relief at her state. However, he knew that he would have to have Ratchet perform a full scan before knowing for sure if Talida unwittingly made her wrist and lung damage worse. Just as quickly as his relief came, it disappeared. He saw something horrible.

And that was Bumblebee cradling his badly damaged T-Cog.

"We can save it, right?" Talida asked hopefully.

"I don't know, sweetspark. Ratchet, reopen the GroundBridge and prepare for surgery," Optimus requested.

"And thanks to me, Megatron has the forge," Bulkhead sighed sadly.

"While we would have put the Forge of Solus Prime to valuable use, I do not have a reason to fear Megatron's possession of it," Optimus decreed.

* * *

Optimus was right to say that they didn't need to fear Megatron's possession of the forge. This was shown by Megatron's actions when he came back to the Nemesis with Knock Out and Breakdown.

Naturally, Knock Out insisted that they test the Forge to prove or disprove Megatron's fears. So he grabbed a spare, unused component for Megatron to smash up and told him to turn that box into a weapon. Unfortunately, all Megatron did was destroy the box beyond repair instead of turning it into a weapon.

"It doesn't look like a Fortress Maximus Grade Nucleon Shock Canon," Knock Out observed.

"Does this confirm your original fears?" Malita asked.

"I'm afraid it does confirm my original suspicions. Without the power of a Prime to activate it, the Forge is merely another addition to our tool chest. One we must, nonetheless, keep as far as way as possible from the reach of a Prime," Megatron decreed.

"Including Talida?" Malita guessed.

"Including Talida," Megatron agreed, "Not only is she the daughter of a Prime and destined to become one herself. She is also the incarnation of Princess Rayna. Aside from a Prime, Princess Rayna was the only person able to wield the Forge. And since Talida is Princess Rayna's incarnation, she can wield the Forge as well. So no matter what it takes, we have to keep the forge away from my baby brother and my very dear niece."

"Malita, I shall like your help in restocking the medical laboratory," Knock Out requested his soul mate as he went to take her away.

"I am sure that she would be happy to help you in the medical laboratory, Knock Out. However, she already has prior commitments with me. Malita, come," Megatron instructed as he left the room.

"Help me," Malita mouthed to her soul late before unwillingly following her father.

"Would you be willing to tell me what exactly Megatron is doing to her whenever they're alone?" Knock Out asked Soundwave, earning no response from the eyes and ears of the Decepticon cause, "I'll, er…take that as a no then…"

"Wanna spy on them?" Breakdown offered.

"You know, Breakdown, there are times where you come up with the best plans I've ever heard," Knock Out said before he and Breakdown took off in the direction Megatron and Malita went in.

* * *

Back at the base, everything hung in the balance for Bumblebee. Raf and Talida were by his side as he came to from the induced stasis Ratchet had him under. After having Talida checked over first at Bumblebee's insistence and she was cleared from further health complications, Bumblebee had his operation.

"I did what I could," was all Ratchet said to Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Jack and Miko.

"Our scout could not have been in better hands, old friend," Optimus decreed as he laid a hand on Ratchet's shoulder.

"None of us blame you, Ratchet. Because while you have made mistakes in the past, you've saved more lives than you have lost. Including ours. And you did everything you could. That's all we could ask for," Talida reassured him.

"And we didn't stick with Plan A and let Ratchet donate his cog why?" Miko asked quietly from her position in Jack's arms.

"Bumblebee wouldn't accept it," Jack answered.

"Bumblebee, easy," Ratchet warned as Bumblebee got up and did some flexes, "Please. Recovery takes time."

Instead of trying to transform into vehicle mode, Bumblebee checked his blasters. However, they wouldn't work, causing Bumblebee to look at Ratchet with sad optics.

"Oh no," Talida muttered.

"The damage was…severe," Ratchet sighed sadly.

Bumblebee whirred sadly at the aspect of spending forever without his wheels or Energon Stingers. Then he did something that surprised everyone in the room. He transformed into his vehicle mode. Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf cheered in relief while Ratchet wore the biggest smile anyone has ever seen him wear. After doing a doughnut in the base, Bumblebee opened his door bleeping his horn.

"Anywhere!" Raf said eagerly as he and Talida raced into the car.

"Just drive!" Talida added excitedly as the door closed behind them and Bumblebee sped out of the base, leaving everyone behind in a cloud of dust.

"Go easy! Adhere to standard breaking procedure!" Ratchet called after him, laughing in his voice.

"Whoa! Bee's T-Cog looked like it was ready for the scrapyard," Bulkhead remarked before blowing a raspberry on Cayden's stomach, earning giggles in response.

"Hard to believe the Doc repaired it," Arcee sighed as she leaned into Optimus' embrace.

"That is not all Ratchet repaired today," Optimus corrected with a smile.

"…They will be coming back, right?" Jack asked worriedly.

"They always do," Arcee chuckled.

"_I will never know myself,  
__Until I do this on my own.  
__And I will never feel anything else,  
__Until my wounds are healed.  
__I will never be anything,  
__Till I break away from me.  
__I will break away.  
__I'll find myself today…_

_I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__What I thought was never real…  
__I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long…  
__(Erase all the pain till it's gone.)  
__I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__Like I'm close to something real…  
__I wanna find something I've wanted all along…  
__Somewhere I belong…_

_I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__Like I'm somewhere I belong…  
__I wanna heal… I wanna feel…  
__Like I'm somewhere I belong…_

_Somewhere I belong…_"

* * *

**This one's going to be interesting…**

* * *

_Wheeljack: I don't like unfinished business._

_**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_Bulkhead: Ha ha! Jackie's back!_

_**Wheeljack returns…**_

_Wheeljack: You've got nowhere left to run, 'Con!_

_Dreadwing: Every last Autobot on this accursed world will pay._

_Talida: Houston, we have a problem._

_Optimus: Wheeljack!_

_Bulkhead: JACKIE! NO!_

_Optimus: Diffuse the bomb._

_Wheeljack: BULKHEAD!  
_

_Talida: I'll make you regret it._

_Show explosion_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction…**_

_Show Optimus dropping a shipping crane on Dreadwing_

* * *

**Oooooooooooooh… DON'T MISS THIS!**

**BYE!**


	3. Loose Cannons

**Here we go, ladies and gentlemen!**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Hmm… I've wondered what happened to Malita.**_

**I get that a lot.**

**XTSDreadwing: **_**If don't find out who Malita's mother is in this story… Well… My brother Teridax possesses a Cortical Physic Patch. By the way… I to am a Femme, and Dreadwing is my code name.**_

**Thanks for the clarification. Well…I can't make any guarantees. But…I'll be dropping hints in each author's note. You guys wanna know? You figure it out.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Whoo, go, Bumblebee and Talida! :D Poor Screamy, always getting unlucky. XD But I hope Malita will be alright… O.O**_

**She will be eventually.**

**devildog452: **_**I was hoping to see what is going on with Megatron and Malita. When are we all going to know?**_

**Erm…there's a reason for that…**

**haloangel21: **_**For OP: Bumblebee part 2, I just absolutely loved the part where Bulkhead just hits Breakdown, and Breakdown is sent flying into Knockout, where we see his face full of fear.**_

**That is up there. But…the best part is Ratchet's rambling when he's under stasis.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Awesome chapter! I just want to know what Megsy and Malita were talking about it.**_

**Again. I get that a lot.**

**Tellingitlikeitis1541: **_**Only one word:awesome. **_

**Thanks!**

**VectorSigma101: **_**AWESOME!**_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot StarRacer: **_**:P haha worked didn't it?**_

**Yep.**

**Zod: **_**It be interesting if Megatron had a love interest to… Maybe he can reunite with Matila's mother… That is if she's alive… Give Megatron a love interest… OR KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!**_

**I'll just kneel before Zod.**

**SapphirePrincess102: **_*****__**sighs**__*** I can't believe I'm saying this but I actually feel bad for Malita.**_

**Remember. She's changing.**

**Brian: **_**So you've written smut between Ratchet and Talida, but not one between Bumblebee and Talida considering this stories farther then 'Strange Beginnings'… Doesn't seem fair to me. Why do you need to think about it?**_

**I do have other stories to write. I'm slow enough with updates as it is.**

**Righty-oh, guys! Here's the hint as to the identity of Malita's biological mother. Trust me when I say I can pretty much guarantee that you'll figure it out by this hint alone:**

**It's a character that I've mentioned a few times throughout the earlier stories in the series but this character is still to physically appear in a story.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**No More Sorrow**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and their respective record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Are you lost in your lies?  
__Do you tell yourself I don't realize?  
__Your crusade's a disguise.  
__Replace freedom with fear.  
__You trade money for lives._

_I'm aware of what you've done…_

_NO! No more sorrow!  
__I've paid for your mistakes!  
__Your time is borrowed!  
__Your time has come to be replaced…_"

"_Prime!_"

"Yes?" Talida and Optimus answered.

"_And I'm talking to both senior and junior here! But…mostly Prime senior. What in blazes are your people doing out here?! We had an agreement! No collateral damage! Especially after Arcee, Jack and Talida's last month voyage to Cybertron!_"

"I am sorry, Agent Fowler. But all Autobots are present and accounted for," Optimus corrected as he gestured to the other Autobots and gently bounced his sleeping five-week-old son in his arms.

"_Then explain why I'm receiving reports of two Jumbo-sized 'Bots mixing it up 20 miles outside Omaha!_"

"Decepticons?" Ratchet guessed.

"There has been plenty of infighting lately," Arcee pointed out.

"If there's one thing Megatron can't do, it's keep his ranks in line," Talida remarked.

"_Well, I'm just arriving on the scene. Have a look._"

The screen changed from Fowler's face to the footage of the ongoing fight. The first Cybertronian was one they hadn't seen either before or in a while. This one was blue with tinges of yellow and red all over his armor.

"I don't know. Paint job aside, it can't be Skyquake. You and Optimus pounded him into the ground," Bulkhead objected.

"Then Starscream transformed him into a walking zombie. Some kind of Terracon," Talida piped in.

"But the question remains. Who's the dance partner?" Arcee asked.

Fowler was able to do a closeup on the unidentified Cybertronian's dance partner. It wasn't hard the miss the white paint job with red and green stripes, the samarai swords and his battle mask.

"By the AllSpark!" Ratchet gasped, "It is one of ours!"

"Wheeljack's in the house!" Talida cheered.

"Ha ha! Jackie's back!" Bulkhead cackled as he slapped Bumblebee, Arcee and Ratchet in their backs at the same time, causing them to lunge forward.

"_I don't care if Abraham Lincoln's back! You have to contain the situation before we all wind up on the 11 o'clock news!_"

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_I see pain. I see need.  
__I see liars and thieves.  
__Abuse power with greed.  
__I had hope. I believed.  
__But I'm beginning to think that I've been deceived._

_You will pay for what you've done…_

_NO! No more sorrow!  
I've paid for your mistakes!  
__Your time is borrowed!  
__Your time has come to be replaced…_"

Wheeljack found himself in boiling water. He hid himself behind anything he could find to shield himself from the shots coming from the blaster of the unidentified Decepticon. Occasionally, Wheeljack would pop out, shooting at him.

"You've got nowhere left to run, 'Con!" Wheeljack growled.

Wheeljack looked up when he saw Fowler's plane heading towards him. Assuming that he was with the Decepticons, he fired multiple shots at him.

"_This is Special Agent William Fowler of the-! WHOA! Stand down, hothead! I'm on your side!_"

After the Decepticon took down Wheeljack, he began shooting at Fowler's plane. Managing to avoid the shots, Fowler fired some of his own. They caused minimal damage as Wheeljack managed to get away.

"I had a feeling the gang might show," Wheeljack remarked as he saw the GroundBridge open and Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee race through.

The Decepticon focused his firepower on Optimus and Bulkhead as they ran across the field. Managing to distract him, Bulkhead ran towards his friend.

"Jackie!" Bulkhead cried as he knelt beside him.

With Optimus, Bulkhead and Wheeljack out of the way, the Decepticon focused his firepower on Arcee and Bumblebee. However, when the shots began to hurt him, he began running away. Looking up, he saw Fowler's plane again. Remembering that he needed a vehicle mode, he decided on Fowler's plane.

"That will do," he decreed as he scanned the plane into his processors.

"Oh! Not this again!" Fowler moaned.

"Oh no you don't!" Wheeljack snarled when the Decepticon went to make a hasty getaway.

"Wheeljack!" Optimus warned.

"Jackie! No!" Bulkhead cried as Wheeljack fired at the retreating Decepticon.

However, his shots hit the nearby gas station, causing it to explode. The explosion was powerful enough to cause Bumblebee and Arcee to shield themselves. The explosion wasn't powerful enough to kill the Decepticon, who simply just transformed into his vehicle mode and flew away from the scene, despite Fowler's best attempts to stop him.

"Dreadwing rigged the place to blow," Wheeljack snarled.

"Dreadwing?!" Bulkhead repeated in surprise.

"Actually, that was _your _handiwork, sparky," Arcee corrected as she and Bumblebee stepped forward.

"It's called a gas station. Kinda like an Energon depo. Doesn't mix well with blaster fire," Bulkhead explained.

"Huh. Well, our 'Con's getting away," Wheeljack said as he went to chase after him…only to be stopped by Optimus.

"Wheeljack, there are other considerations. While upon this world, you would do well to follow my lead," Optimus advised.

* * *

With those words said, Optimus took Wheeljack and the others back to base. Talida was clearly happy to see Wheeljack, finding his company to be a pleasure. Wheeljack felt the same way, saying that he enjoyed how she reminded him of Rayna. However, he had one problem to overcome. And that was Ratchet trying to meld together the wound on his arm.

"Ow! Take it easy, doc! I need that arm!" Wheeljack snarked.

"Hold still and maybe, you'll keep it," Ratchet retorted as he resumed his work, "You're worse then Talida when I removed her cast last week."

"Again! I'm ticklish!" Talida defended herself.

"Look. Commander, apologies for the fireworks. Won't happen again. But I've tracked Dreadwing across a hundred light years of space-," Wheeljack said.

"I thought you were roaming the galaxy," Bulkhead cut in.

"You know, searching for Autobot refugees," Talida added.

"I was until I found one. A Wrecker," Wheeljack corrected.

"Who?" Bulkhead demanded, automatically showing interest in a former Wrecker like him.

"Seaspray," Wheeljack answered.

Bulkhead cackled before asking, "How is Ol' Barnicle Butt?"

"Not so good, Bulk. Blown to bits, actually," Wheeljack announced sadly.

"What?! No!" Bulkhead cried in horror.

"What happened?" Talida demanded.

"Dreadwing," Optimus rumbled dangerously as he tightened his hold on Cayden.

"My flyer, the Jackhammer, picked up Seaspray's signal a couple of light years away from Madarin. We made contact and arranged to rendezvous in the Dromedon system. But Dreadwing must have intercepted the transmission. 'Cause he got to Seaspray first. A proximity bomb built to take us both out. Guess I should be glad the Jackhammer could take a punch. I picked up Dreadwing's ion trail. Tracked him through a dozen solar systems before catching up to him. Then he led me right back to this marble," Wheeljack told his story, "Some coincidence, huh?"

"Who's Dreadwing?" Talida wanted to know.

"I know of this Dreadwing. He was captain of a Seeker Armada…and as such, like his twin Skyquake, fiercely loyal to the Decepticon cause. Dreadwing has no doubt travelled to Earth to pay allegiance to his one true master," Optimus answered.

"Hope he's enjoyed the visit," Wheeljack remarked as he stood up, "It's gonna be his last!"

"Wheeljack, this planet is heavily inhabited. Any strike we make against the Decepticons must be carefully measured as a team. Lest we risk endangering the human population," Optimus intervened.

"You suggesting we sit back and do nothing?!" Wheeljack scoffed in disbelief.

"You! Loose cannon!" Fowler called as he stormed into the former missile silo, "Your cowboy antics almost blew our cover!"

"Cover?" Wheeljack repeated in confusion.

"We're robots in disguise, Jackie," Bulkhead clarified.

"Which means that the only way you're getting out of this base is if you have an Earth-base vehicle form," Talida piped in.

"That spaceship you shot down – _not_ Earth-based! I had to jump through some big hoops to get it hauled out of plain sight!" Fowler told them, clearly angry, "You need to keep a tighter leash on your people, Prime! And I know that since you're a father yourself, you'll see my point of view, but I wouldn't raise my children in this environment! Isn't corrupting one child enough?!"

"Oi!" Talida exclaimed, clearly offended.

"A tighter leash?! Let me clarify, tiny," Wheeljack seethed.

"Jackie," Bulkhead warned.

Wheeljack leaned in close and said dangerously, "I'm _not_ one of Optimus Prime's people! And just so you know. If you _ever_ insult my little sister again, who just happened to be the incarnation of our Princess, I will not hesitate to squash you like a bug!"

"Houston, we have a problem," Talida muttered as she saw Wheeljack left.

"I'll talk to him," Bulkhead promised before stopping and turning to Optimus, "With your permission."

"Of course," Optimus nodded as Bulkhead left.

"So the new guy has a problem with authority," Fowler stated dryly.

"Wheeljack and Bulkhead served together in the Wreckers, a combat unit that operated outside the normal chain of command," Optimus clarified.

"Black Ops," Fowler grumbled.

"The Wreckers were brave enough to accept missions that no one else would. Many didn't come back," Talida piped in.

* * *

Dreadwing was holding up this device that shot a red light into the cloudy skies. Almost instantly, recognizing the signal, the Nemesis appeared. Transforming into his vehicle mode, he jumped up and flew towards the Decepticon warship. Not long afterwards, he found himself kneeling in front of Megatron himself.

"Lord Megatron, I live to serve," Dreadwing said as he bowed towards his master.

"Rise, Dreadwing. Loyalty such as yours is such a rare commodity," Megatron stated as Dreadwing rose to his feet.

"Mine runs deep and true. Yet, it is not loyalty alone that brought me here," Dreadwing confessed to Megatron.

"Oh?" Megatron hummed, clearly curious.

"I seek confirmation of the demise of one I whom considered a brother," Dreadwing requested, causing Megatron to figure out that he was indeed talking about Skyquake.

"How did you learn of his passing?" Megatron wanted to know.

"My twin and I shared a split spark and metal but two halves of the same life force. Even from across the galaxy, I sensed when he emerged from stasis on another planet. And when his spark was no more…," Dreadwing trailed off.

Megatron didn't need to hear anymore. He was sure that when Optimus were to die, he would feel it in his spark if he were still alive due to the familial bond. Megatron would never admit this to his Decepticon forces willingly. However, when he and Optimus were younger, the two of them shared a very close bond. Much like the one Dreadwing and Skyquake shared before Skyquake's demise.

So when Soundwave brought up the footage of Skyquake's demise, he expected Dreadwing to be angry.

"It is true. Skyquake perished at the hands of the Autobots. Though not, in fact, under my watch," Megatron confirmed Dreadwing's suspicions.

"Then by the pit, every last Autobot on this accursed world will pay," Dreadwing vowed.

"The Autobots will be punished for their crime and many others _how_ and _when I_ see fit," Megatron told Dreadwing.

"Master," Dreadwing began to object.

"Conflicting agendas will result in chaos and failure. You will be wise to remember that, Dreadwing. You are under my command now. And as such, you must follow my lead," Megatron cut Dreadwing shot, "Just ask my daughter, Malita. A product of rape, she was the perfect heir to the Decepticon throne. However, due to her recent attempt to betray me and join the Autobots, she has been under heavy and constant punishment. One I shall now describe in detail."

* * *

"Jackie. Look. Even if it weren't for the humans, we couldn't take on the 'Cons right now," Bulkhead told Wheeljack as he found him standing by the Jackhammer, "We're outnumbered."

"Roadbuster, Impactor, Rotostorm, Seaspray; all dust," Wheeljack snarled.

"That's what I'm talking about. Wrecker's are Autobots. There's just not that many of us left. If we get behind Optimus, we have a chance to end this once and for all," Bulkhead decreed.

"Guys like Optimus; they talk a good game. But when you're in the scrap, they don't wanna get their hands dirty," Wheeljack growled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You don't know Optimus like I do. Being a Wrecker meant everything to me. But I love Rayna more. So I left that behind for her," Bulkhead began.

"And Prime was the real deal. Blah, blah, blah," Wheeljack finished in annoyance, having heard it multiple times before.

"_Wheeljack!_"

Wheeljack and Bulkhead turned to face the radio systems inside the Jackhammer. He was receiving a message…

From Dreadwing.

"_I know you're out there listening! I have a proposition for you!_"

"Is that…?" Bulkhead began asking.

"Dreadwing," Wheeljack growled.

"_Meet me at these coordinates…if you have the spark._"

"I'll see you there, 'Con…just to watch you fry," Wheeljack vowed as he sat behind the wheel.

"Jackie, it's a trap," Bulkhead warned.

"I know. But when has that ever stopped me?" Wheeljack retorted as he fired up his engines, "You coming with?"

"At least let me call for backup," Bulkhead pleaded as he sat next to Wheeljack.

"You know Wreckers don't call for backup," Wheeljack chided.

"They call for cleanup!" Bulkhead and Wheeljack chorused as they hi-fived.

* * *

Dreadwing heard footsteps approaching him from behind as he stood in the forest. When he saw Wheeljack…well, needless to say, he was surprised.

"I wasn't certain you'd come," Dreadwing confessed.

"I don't like unfinished business," Wheeljack shrugged.

Let the showdown begin.

First, it was the battle of the bombs. Dreadwing threw his signature proximity bomb. Wheeljack threw his signature hand grenade. Upon collision, they exploded. So Wheeljack unsheathed his swords and jumped with a warrior yell. Dreadwing moved out of the way, causing Wheeljack to stab his swords into the ground. Shaking with anger, he slid his battle mask over his face and chased the retreating Dreadwing into the forest.

He followed the Decepticon into the canyon. Smirking, Dreadwing pressed a button. He had planted a series of proximity bombs all over the place. One exploded right next to Wheeljack. However, that wasn't enough to stop him.

"That all you've got?" Wheeljack challenged.

His response was Dreadwing detonating another bomb right next to him. However, Dreadwing turned the corner and found himself facing a dead end. Turning around, he saw Wheeljack blocking his pathway armed and dangerous. Of course, there was another way out.

"If you're thinking about flying out of here," Wheeljack began.

"Think again," Bulkhead finished from his position at the ledge of the canyon.

Dreadwing's smirk was the only response he gave the former Wreckers. Confused, Wheeljack looked up at the rock wall where Bulkhead was standing. To his horror, he saw that Dreadwing had planted another proximity bomb. Immediately, Wheeljack knew what was going to happen next.

"BULKHEAD!" Wheeljack cried.

_BOOM!_

With a yell, Bulkhead fell with the crumbling rocks into the canyon below. Wheeljack shielded his face as the rocks came crumbling down on top of him. When the dust was clear, a pile of rocks stood where Wheeljack once did…

And Dreadwing was gone.

* * *

"What are we looking at?" Talida asked worriedly.

"Bulkhead's signal – over 1000 miles from here," Ratchet answered, "We have to imagine that Wheeljack's with him."

"Have you attempted contact?" Optimus wanted to know.

"No response," Ratchet responded gravely, knowing what this meant.

"If you think you're gonna make me sit by and do nothing while Bulkhead's in trouble, you can think again," Talida threatened her father dangerously, "You couldn't keep me away from Cliffjumper. You couldn't keep me away from Arcee. You couldn't keep me away from Ratchet. You couldn't keep me away from you. So what makes you think you'll be able to keep me away from Bulkhead?"

* * *

Wheeljack grunted as he struggled to free himself from the giant pile of rocks. However, the task was easier said and done…until a rock was lifted away. Wheeljack sighed in relief at the prospect of freedom.

"What took you so long, Bulk? Don't tell me that you're riding with Prime has made you-," Wheeljack cut his remark short when he saw Optimus and Talida standing over him, "Soft?"

After pulling Wheeljack free from the pile, Optimus said what he wanted to say, "If you will not take orders from me, that's one thing. But when you place one of my Autobots in danger…"

"With all due respects, sir, Bulkhead knew the risks. Every Wrecker does," Wheeljack defended his actions as he turned away from them, "I'm sure he's just somewhere in this rubble."

"And if he isn't, we'll know who to blame them," Talida said coolly.

"I don't need the attitude, Rayna! Especially from you!" Wheeljack snapped coldly as he turned to face her, "You're just a kid! You don't know the risks! You've never truly fought in the war!"

"You think I don't know anything?! Just one month ago, I had to brave unknown territory! Just one month ago, I fought part of this stupid war on a dead planet! _Your_ dead planet, mind you! I've done things that I've lost sleep over this month! I took lives I never wanted to take! I've had to kill in cold blood just to come home! You're right about one thing. I am a kid. But don't you dare say I never truly fought in the war. I've thought in it more than you think," Talida snarled.

"_Optimus, Talida, Bulkhead's signal has moved from your current position!_"

"You two coming with?" Wheeljack asked casually as he walked away.

* * *

This was how Optimus found himself placed in an…_awkward_ situation. Wheeljack insisted that Talida had to sit on his shoulder because of this. Awkwardly, Optimus was crouched in the Jackhammer. Well…he is a giant.

"You and Bulkhead share quite a history," Optimus stated, trying to make conversation with the former Wrecker, "And yet you prefer to work alone."

"The Wreckers scattered a long time ago. And alone's usually a lot less complicated," Wheeljack shrugged, "Besides, unlike Bulkhead, I haven't found my soul mate. I haven't found a reason to not be alone anymore as of yet. And probably never will. The Autobots have scattered across multiple galaxies or are one with the AllSpark. With my luck, the femme supposed to be my soul mate is among the Autobots or Decepticons that have died eons ago."

"I am sure that once upon a time, my spark mate thought the same about being alone," Optimus recalled, "Especially during her time working under Sentinel Prime's command."

"What changed? You finally banged the two-wheeler and got her sparked out of spark bond?" Wheeljack joked.

"Uh oh," Talida muttered when she saw the murderous glare Optimus was giving him.

"I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about my spark mate and son like that," Optimus growled dangerously.

"Hey. Just remembered something, Prime. I looked out for your spark mate when you didn't," Wheeljack retorted, silencing the Prime with the truth.

* * *

Eventually, they had arrived where Ratchet had picked up Bulkhead's signal. A shipping depo. Immediately, Wheeljack took out his scanner and began tracking. Optimus and Talida were hot on the heels of the experienced former Wrecker. Both of them were armed. Optimus with his blasters. Talida with her sword.

"We are close to population," Optimus warned Wheeljack.

"Remember," Talida began.

"Blaster and fuel pumps don't mix," Wheeljack finished, "Our boy's just up ahead."

When they rounded the bend, the three Autobots froze in pure horror. Before them, they saw Bulkhead was strapped by the Energon cuffs on his wrists to the wall of freight containers behind him. However, that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst of it was…

There was a bomb strapped to his chest.

"Hey, guys," Bulkhead agreed weakly.

"Scrap," Wheeljack and Talida grumbled.

"Oh boy," Bulkhead muttered as Wheeljack ran towards him.

"You've really got yourself in a heap of scrap this time, partner," Wheeljack joked, "I'm sure Rayna will be giving you a hard time over this."

"Stay back, Jackie," Bulkhead pleaded before noticing Talida approaching him, "NO, TALIDA! STAY AWAY!"

"Like I'm gonna listen to you," Talida retorted.

"Better get to work," Wheeljack remarked as he began analyzing the ticking bomb.

"Have you defused one of these before?" Optimus asked worriedly as he scooped Talida in his hand to keep her away.

However, when Wheeljack pressed the button that opened the components, his answer wasn't one that made Optimus and Talida happy, "Fail safes, dummy leads, booby traps; it's a work of art."

"Are you admiring Dreadwing's work or thinking about how to defuse it?!" Talida snapped.

* * *

"_Dreadwing, where are you?_"

"Merely pursuing my destiny, Lord Megatron," Dreadwing answered casually.

"Did I not order you to stand down?!" Megatron growled.

"_Forgive me, one true master. But it is my hope that vanquishing Optimus Prime and his brat will earn your respect._"

"Optimus is not so easily disposed of as I keep trying to explain to all of those who foolishly attempt it. My dear niece is the exact same way. And I would appreciate it if you didn't call her a brat or vanquish her as you hope to do. I want her alive for my own plans for her," Megatron requested, "That is, if you do succeed…"

* * *

"Jackie, if you don't abort, we're both gonna need cleanup," Bulkhead warned.

"Trying to focus here, Bulk," Wheeljack shushed his former partner.

"Where's Optimus and Talida?" Bulkhead asked, noticing the absence of the two Primes.

"Huh. It's like I told you. When the scrap hits the fan blades, the generals are the first to bail," Wheeljack scoffed, "Sentinel Prime was the exact same before that team disbanded."

"No. Not Optimus!" Bulkhead objected, "He's nothing like Sentinel Prime, Jackie. He's probably trying to get Talida to safety before going off to fight Dreadwing."

* * *

"I assure you, master. In but a few moments, Optimus and three others will be blown to atoms," Dreadwing vowed.

"_I will allow it, Dreadwing, in memory of your departed twin. But only this once._ I will be surprise if we ever set eyes on Dreadwing again," Megatron said to Soundwave and Malita when he terminated the radio link.

* * *

"Where is the Prime and his brat?" Dreadwing asked himself.

"Dreadwing!"

Dreadwing glanced around, looking for the mech belong to that powerful legal voice.

"I know that if you're anything like you're brother, you value loyalty and honor!"

"Is there a point to your bluster, Prime?" Dreadwing asked.

"Only that my uncle knows nothing of those qualities!" Talida called back in response.

"He lives solely for destruction and conquest! But there is another path! Deactivate the bomb!" Optimus pleaded.

Realizing where the two Primes were possibly hiding, Dreadwing fired multiple shots at the series of freight boxes standing nearby. He ran towards them. However, to his horror, Optimus and Talida were gone by the time he arrived.

* * *

"Get out of here already!" Bulkhead begged.

"I didn't leave you on Sandican and I'm not leaving you here!" Wheeljack retorted.

"Face it. There's only one bot that can defuse this mess and his name's Dreadwing!" Bulkhead stated.

"Blaster fire's getting closer," Wheeljack observed, ignoring his partner, "As if the commander and Talida's…"

Wheeljack was cut off by Bulkhead freeing his hand and punching him in the jaw. Using his strength, Bulkhead ripped his remaining wrist free from the binds. Wheeljack wasn't going to listen to reason and leave him to die and save himself. He knew that this was the only way he was going to get Wheeljack to leave him.

"Sorry, Jackie. It's 'cause I love ya," Bulkhead said to Wheeljack before running away.

* * *

Optimus and Talida kept on running through the shipping depo firing shots. Optimus hid behind another set of freight boxes to shield himself from Dreadwing. Talida was merely reflecting the shots off with her sword. However, there was one shot that she wasn't going to be able to reflect off towards him. And Optimus knew this. So he swooped forward and scooped Talida away from harm, his spark calming down when he saw that his little girl was safe.

"We just can't win with this guy!" Talida sighed in frustration as she and Optimus jumped from freight box to freight box avoiding Dreadwing's fatal shots, "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE ALREADY?!"

* * *

Bulkhead glanced around looking for an escape. He needed to get as far away from civilization as he possibly could. The proximity bomb had a wide radius. The further he pushed his loved ones away from danger, the better it would be. As he turned, he saw the open bay with choppy waters waiting to swallow him. Perfect. No boats around. Everyone would be safe from the bomb.

"Sorry, fishes!" Bulkhead whimpered, '_Rayna, my love, I will be seeing you soon!_'

"Bulkhead, wait!" Wheeljack begged as he jumped in front of his partner.

"Out of my way!"

Bulkhead tried to push past him to jump into the bay and save everyone else. Wheeljack placed his hands on his chassis as he tried to force him to stop. Eventually, Bulkhead did stop, realizing that he wasn't going to win that easy. Well…he did when Wheeljack was almost falling into the bay with him.

"Will you listen to me, Bulk?! You were right! Dreadwing's the only one who can diffuse it! And Optimus and Talida know it too!" Wheeljack told him.

They watched as Talida got into position under the shipping crane and Optimus climbed on top of it. The two had an idea going on in their heads. And it was a dangerous ones.

"Hey, Dreadwing!" Talida called as she backed away while Dreadwing came closer, "You want to have the honors of killing the daughter of the Autobot who killed your brother?!"

"Normally, I would jump at the chance. Unfortunately, Megatron wants you alive. So I shall, instead, have the privilege of ripping you away from your father," Dreadwing smirked as he approached her.

"Oh yeah. Like that's gonna happen. NOW!" Talida cried.

With a cry, Optimus came down with the shipping crane. Dreadwing only realized the situation when it was too late. Hopping off of it, Optimus looked down and saw that Dreadwing was pinned by the crane with no way out. Bulkhead and Wheeljack eventually came over and joined the two Primes. Wheeljack couldn't help but admit that trapping Dreadwing like that was pretty genius of Optimus and Talida.

"Dreadwing, diffuse the bomb or fall victim to your own device," Optimus threatened.

"I will gladly sacrifice myself to avenge my brother," Dreadwing spat, only to gasp in surprise when Talida jumped into him and held the blade of her Energon sword dangerously close to his neck cables.

"I'll make you regret it," Talida growled dangerously.

"Then we will, in turn, gladly join the AllSpark with our brother," Optimus decreed.

"And with you," Wheeljack piped in.

"We'll be on you like bees to honey. You'll never be able to shake us. For eternity, you will be stuck with us," Talida smirked.

"Talida, get out of here! NOW!" Bulkhead barked.

"Hey! I promised Miko I'd look out for you! If I have to die to do it, then so be it!" Talida snapped back.

Eventually, Dreadwing relented. He would have the chance to avenge his brother another day. Today was not that day.

"Very well," Dreadwing sighed.

Talida slid her sword across her back and jumped off of Dreadwing's neck. Optimus and Wheeljack removed the shipping crane that had him trapped. Staying true to his word, Dreadwing stood up and approached the scared Autobot. Just as the bomb was about to blow, he reached in and pulled a wire. Upon the dismantling of the blue wire, the beeping immediately stopped. Dreadwing had defused the bomb and saved the lives of himself, Optimus, Wheeljack, Bulkhead and Talida. Bulkhead breathed a sigh of relief as Talida glanced at Wheeljack incredulously.

"I had it narrowed down to the blue or the yellow…or the red," Wheeljack shrugged.

"Looks like I'm not going to be leaving you anytime soon, sprout," Bulkhead decreed as he scooped Talida into his hand and held her to his face so she could hug him.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" Talida asked with a smirk.

"Not even when you're old and grey and we're rusting away," Bulkhead chuckled with a smirk.

Dreadwing had a smirk of his own. Grabbing his remote, he pressed a single button. Bombs were detonating all over the shipping depo, causing Dreadwing to make a run for it. Luckily for the Autobots, they were all safe. Turning to survey the damage left behind by Dreadwing, Wheeljack couldn't help but ask Optimus, Bulkhead and Talida,

"So…who do we call for cleanup?"

* * *

"Optimus Prime still lives. As do you, Dreadwing. And that is a victory however small," Megatron relented, "As Skyquake so tragically discovered…"

"Speak to me not of my twin, Lord Megatron," Dreadwing pleaded his master, "For I am here on Earth to obey your will and yours alone."

"Run while you're still can," Malita warned Dreadwing when he came out.

"Why would you say that?" Dreadwing asked as he knelt before her.

"Just trust me," was all Malita said before walking away.

'_Something is wrong with that girl,_' Dreadwing thought to himself as he retreated to his quarters, '_And I'm determined to find out._'

* * *

"Look. Commander. I just wanna say that it was an honor watching you work. I…think that maybe I had the wrong idea about you," Wheeljack admitted.

"Maybe?" Talida repeated with a smirk.

"OK. I definitely had the wrong idea," Wheeljack relented.

"And it seems that you place a greater value in community then you otherwise let on," Optimus smirked as he let out his hand for Wheeljack to shake.

"Whoa! Let's not jump the gun here!" Wheeljack exclaimed as he backed away.

Bulkhead slapped Wheeljack in the back playfully, saying, "Come on, Jackie. If you leave, you'll probably just wind up coming back again!"

"All that wasted fuel. And Energon is in short supply," Arcee pointed out as she bounced Cayden in his arms who was reaching towards Wheeljack, "Besides, this little guy seems to be taken to you."

"Then again, we do have limited space," Ratchet grumbled as he turned away.

"I can move in with Bumblebee and Wheeljack can have my room," Talida offered, earning a glare from Optimus, "Or not…"

"Aw come on! We're engaged!" Bumblebee whined.

"Not sure if I'm ready to give up my freedom just yet. Maybe I can do some exploring. See if this rock suits me," Wheeljack shrugged.

"No offence to the Jackhammer. But you need an Earth-based vehicle mode," Bulkhead told Wheeljack before turning to Talida, "Hey, sprout. You still have that Ferrari from Wheeljack's last visit?"

"Yep," Talida nodded happily.

* * *

Bulkhead and Talida watched as Wheeljack ran through the desert and jumped into the air, transforming into his new vehicle form. Bulkhead and Talida waved goodbye to Wheeljack as he disappeared in a cloud of desert sand. They may be saying goodbye to their friend. But one thing was for certain.

He'll always come back.

"_Thieves and hypocrites!  
__Thieves and hypocrites!  
__Thieves and hypocrites!_

_NO! No more sorrow!  
__I've paid for your mistakes!  
__Your time is borrowed!  
__Your time has come to be replaced…_

_No more sorrow!  
__I've paid for your mistakes!  
__Your time is borrowed!  
__Your time has come to be replaced…_

_Your time has come to be replaced…_

_Your time has come to be erased…_"

* * *

**Uh-oh. Crossfire's up next. I don't think I'm going to like this…**

**Because Airachnid's back…**

**NO! BREAKDOWN!**

* * *

_Airachnid: Payback would be sweet._

_**Next time in Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_Megatron: She can be a handful. Especially when cornered._

_Malita: I've been waiting for this day._

_Show Airachnid chuckling as she covered Breakdown in web_

_Show an Insecticon holding a shard of Energon to Airachnid_

_Ratchet: An Insecticon?! Here?!_

_Talida: Here we go again, Arcee!_

_Optimus: Proceed with extreme caution._

_Show Megatron being pinned to the wall by an Insecticon_

_Show Arcee and Talida jumping into battle_

_Talida: I'm done waiting!_

_Optimus: Arcee, Talida, no!_

_Megatron: DESTROY THEM!  
_

_Show Autobots and Decepticons firing shots at each other_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction…**_

_Show Megatron swiping his blade towards the screen_

* * *

**This will not be good… If you guys want more, you know what to do. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	4. Crossfire

**Hmmmmmm… I was hoping that I wouldn't have to give another hint. But…oh well. First of all, I have to get something that's equally important out of the way.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AWesomo3000: **_**Whoo, go, Jackie! Can't wait for the next chapter! :D Then again, I regret that cos of… you know… **__** Wonder what Malita meant at the end? Hmm…**_

**That's for me to know and for you to figure out.**

**Abyss Prime: **_**Dude… That was epic… I wish you wouldn't have Breakdown die… I miss him so much ***__**sobs**__*** His optic patch was so sexy… ***__**sobs even more**__*****_

***hands over tissues***** Here you go. An author must always come prepared.**

**haloangel21: **_**Oh, yeah. I do remember Ratchet's rambling while being under the anesthesia. I wonder if the producers are going to do something like that again.**_

**I'd actually pay to see that. I want to know what the others are like. …OMP! Could you imagine Optimus?!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**A product of rape… Has a human Femme served under Megatron before?**_

**Considering how Megatron feels about humans…no.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**Great chapter, as always! Can't wait to see what'll happen in Crossfire. NO BREAKDOWN!  
**_

**I cried when Breakdown died. So you're not the only one. I'm gonna need tissues because now I actually have to write it!**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**He will definitely come back. And Fowler is as grumpy as ever. Please update!  
**_

**I actually like his grumpiness.**

**devildog452: **_**Hey I've been meaning to ask you something.**_

**Ask away. Sorry for taking so long to reply. I don't really do PMs that much.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Oh joy! Airachnid's back! Now I wish I had a lightsaber on me. Update soon!  
**_

***holds up lightsaber***** I believe you requested one.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**Oh boy**_

**Oh yeah.**

**VDSWarriorQueen: **_**I hope Bumblebee and Talida gets married in this story.**_

**Talida's too young. Optimus would be having kittens if they did.**

**optoclaw: **_**HEY HEY HEY, IT'S FAT ABLERT! na just kidding it's optoclaw. So, yu no want goodie bascket? Anyway good chapter and like I said last review don't hesitate to use my OC's. oh and rember the forge from last chapter? ***__**holds up giant hammer twice as big… with KNOCKOUT klinging to the end**__*****_

_**Me: MINE'S BIGGER AND SHINYER!**_

_**Knockout: NO NO NO! MY FINISH! ***__**slams hammer into the ground**__*****_

_**My knockout: I'm glad I'm not evil anymore.**_

**I wish you weren't evil in the show.**

**Autobot StarRacer: **_**Ugh Crossfire was not a very good episode in my opinion. Poor Bumblebee, he can't make a move on Talida without Optimus silently threatening to rip out his spark ***__**sighs**__*** Okay everytime I hear Bulkhead talk about Rayna I wanna cry cuz it's sad that he lost his Soul Mate **__** Update soon! Or…MAGIC UNICORNS WILL PUKE RAINBOWS ALL OVER YOU! ***__**poofs away…again**__*****_

**I think Optimus is mostly afraid of them giving him more grandchildren. Raf's enough for now.**

**Transformers4eve: **_**Love your versions of TFP so much that I have them on my phone so I can read them anywhere, so PLEASE UPDATE YOUR NEXT CHAPTER SOON, SO I CAN ADD IT TO THE OTHER THREE CHAPTERS, YOUR AWESOME!**_

**_P.S. just making sure you know that I have Talida Prime: Rising Darkness, Fading Light, and now Rising Storms on my iPhone. :D_**

_**KEEP UP THE AWESOME WORK :D**_

**I've heard people say that they love my stories. But having them on their iPhones? THAT'S a new one. I'm actually flattered.**

**HINT AS TO MALITA'S MOTHER!  
**

**She appeared in Love and Forever.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Boulevard of Broken Dreams**_** rightfully belongs to Green Day and their respective record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_I walk a lonely road.  
__The only one that I have ever known.  
__Don't know where it goes.  
__But it's home to me and I walk alone._

_I walk this empty street,  
__On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.  
__When the city sleeps,  
__And I'm the only one and I walk alone._

_I walk alone.  
__I walk alone.  
__I walk alone.  
__I walk a…_

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me!  
__My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating!  
__Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me!  
_'_Til then, I walk alone…_

_Ah-ah... Ah-ah… Ah-ah… Ahhh-ah…  
__Ah-ah… Ah-ah… Ah-ah…_"

"If it pleases you, Lord Megatron and Lady Malita, once Soundwave discovers a mean of decoding the remainder of the Iacon Database, as we know he will, I would suggest the deployment of an underutilized asset," Airachnid suggested.

"And what asset would that be, Airachnid?" Megatron asked dryly.

"I believe that my superior tracking skills would expedite your quest to recover the remaining relics," Airachnid said as she bowed towards Megatron.

"Your opinion is noted," Malita sighed tiredly.

"You are a gracious audience, my lord, my lady," Airachnid smiled before leaving, but not without greeting the eyes and ears of the Decepticon cause, "Soundwave."

"Remind us of her trustworthiness," Megatron requested Soundwave.

To do that, Soundwave played a voice clip of Airachnid's attempt of mutiny during the incident involving Unicron,

"_I believe we must consider the possibility of a future…without Megatron or Malita._"

"I've been waiting for this day," Malita remarked with a smirk.

* * *

Dreadwing was examining his personal weapons in his quarters when he got the call. Needless to say, despite his loyalty to the Decepticon Lord, he had a hard time believing what was to be asked of him.

"_Dreadwing._"

"I am at your beck and call, Lord Megatron," Dreadwing vowed as he bowed slightly.

"_I wish to entrust you with a task I would normally reserve for myself. That is…if you wish to prove yourself worthy of becoming my first lieutenant._"

"That post belongs to Airachnid!" Dreadwing protested.

"_She will be missed._"

THAT was when Dreadwing realized the mission Megatron wanted carried out. He wished Dreadwing to assassinate a traitor within the Decepticon cause.

Dreadwing was to assassinate Airachnid.

"_And I suggest you bring backup. She can be a handful; especially when cornered._"

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_I'm walking down the line,  
__That divides me somewhere in my mind.  
__On the borderline.  
__Of the edge and where I walk alone._

_Read between the lines.  
__What's fucked up and everything's alright.  
__Check my vital signs,  
__To know I'm still alive and I walk alone._

_I walk alone.  
__I walk alone.  
__I walk alone.  
__I walk a…_

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me!  
My shallow heart's the only one that's beating!  
__Sometimes I wish someone up there would find me!  
_'_Til then, I walk alone…_

_Ah-ah… Ah-ah… Ah-ah… Ahhh-ah…  
__Ah-ah… Ah-ah…_"

Dreadwing decided to choose Breakdown as his backup for the special task. Breakdown was surprised that they were entrusted for the assassination. Normally, Megatron would be performing tasks such as this one personally. Heck. He even took delight in assassinating any traitors within the cause. So…there was nothing they could do but obey and make their master proud. Dreadwing decided to take Airachnid somewhere no one would ever find her. Breakdown suggested that they go into the forest and pretend to be scouting. Dreadwing agreed and the plan worked. Airachnid went with them willingly. However, they knew that she would soon catch on to the real assignment.

"Am I the only one here who considers this to be overkill on Lord Megatron and Lady Malita's part? I mean, dispatching two of their most proficient warriors to confirm one unconfirmed Energon spike," Airachnid sighed.

"Megatron knows me and Dreadwing can get the job done," Breakdown retorted.

"Actually, I was referring to Dreadwing and myself," Airachnid corrected with a smirk.

Breakdown snarled and went to charge at Airachnid to get task this over with. However, something stopped him. And that something was Dreadwing.

"Breakdown, remain on task. This must be a unified effort," Dreadwing chided.

"Indeed, Breakdown. I know we've never seen eyes-to-eye. But that doesn't mean we can't patch things up," Airachnid smirked with a wink.

"THAT'S IT!" Breakdown roared as he charged at her.

"DON'T!" Dreadwing called.

However, this time, Breakdown ignored Dreadwing's warnings as he attacked. Airachnid immediately stood on her spider legs and began her own attack. Her first move was to fire web at him. The web hit him in the face, blocking his one good eye. In retaliation, Dreadwing began his own fire and chased after her. Airachnid simply jumped from tree to tree, dancing around the forest to avoid fire. Dreadwing wasn't like Breakdown. He was able to avoid Airachnid's webs. Well…that was until one caught him by surprise and pinned him to a tree. Luckily for him, his last shot knocked Airachnid out of the tree and to the ground below. One of her limbs followed, much to her horror. Managing to remove the web from his face, Breakdown began firing from the gun on his shoulder. Airachnid retreated further into the forest, causing Breakdown to follow, despite Dreadwing's objections.

"Breakdown! Don't be a fool! Release me!" Dreadwing pleaded him.

However, Breakdown ignored Dreadwing's calls as he continued to give chase. Eventually, he slowed down when he saw the puddle of Energon on the floor. This made him delirious in excitement. Airachnid was injured in the attack. There was no way she would be able to fight back or last for much longer. Finally, he would be able to finish what Megatron wanted to finish for ages. Finally, he could kill her…

Or so he thought.

Breakdown chuckled as he unfolded his hammer and advanced towards her. Airachnid used her arms to push herself far away from him, completely terrified.

"Easy prey," Breakdown chuckled as he raised his arm…

However, to his horror, his arm was caught in a string of web hanging above him. No matter how much he pulled and struggled, he couldn't free his trapped arm. This satisfied Airachnid. She knew Breakdown and Dreadwing were there to terminate her as ordered by Megatron. So…why couldn't she return the favor? Breakdown only realized too late the situation he had just stumbled into.

* * *

Dreadwing heard Breakdown's screams from where he was tangled in webs. Immediately, Dreadwing knew what Breakdown's pain-filled screams meant. Freezing in horror, he desperately prayed that it wasn't true.

"Breakdown! What is your status?" Dreadwing asked into his commlink, earning no response, "Breakdown!"

* * *

What Dreadwing feared was true, MECH would later discover in the forest. Breakdown's remains were dismantled and scattered all around the floor. Airachnid had brutally murdered Breakdown by dismantling him part by part. Circuit by circuit. Satisfied with her work, she had left despite her injuries. However, did MECH care about the fact that Breakdown was dead and gone? Since they were savages, the answer would be no.

"MECH 1 to Silas. Our maneuvers have revealed unexpected results…and a familiar face," the MECH insurgent reported.

* * *

Starscream gasped as he struggled to climb up a rocky cliff face. There was a shard of Energon he desperately wanted as his own supplies have run low.

"How is it that I have been reduced to seeking Energon scraps merely to survive?" Starscream asked himself, despite knowing the answer.

Starscream suddenly slipped in his footing and fell to the ground below. The tiny Energon shard that was in his hand as he landed on the ground on his back. Groaning, he sat up and grabbed the tiny shard. While it was small, it was better than nothing. Looking up in surprise, he heard stomping and primal growling. Curiosity overcame the former Seeker, who decided to investigate the matter. When he rounded the corner, an unbelievable sight surprised him greatly. Nothing prepared him for seeing an Insecticon beating at a considerably large rock.

"An Insecticon?! On Earth?!" Starscream gasped in disbelief as he stepped forward to the Insecticon pulling out a cluster of Energon, "You there! Scavenger! Deliver that Energon to me! …You dare turn your back on a superior life form?! I am Commander Starscream!"

Starscream's response was in the form of the Insecticon taking a swipe at him. Clearly, he believed in the term 'Finder's Keepers.' A fight began between them. However, it was more of a one-sided fight as the Insecticon beat Starscream. Starscream scrambled for his life, only to trip and crawl into a cave where the Insecticon wouldn't stop trying to kill him.

"Fine! Keep the Energon! I hope you choke on it!" Starscream spat.

The Insecticon suddenly stopped as some kind of telepathy took control of him. With the Energon cluster in his hand, the Insecticon walked towards the person that was controlling him. And that person…

Was Airachnid.

"Yes, minion. Approach me. Obey me. Worship me," Airachnid coaxed.

Enchanted, the Insecticon fell under Airachnid's spell and obeyed her will. Wordlessly, the Insecticon bowed and held the cluster up towards her, beckoning her to accept his gracious offer and to refuel with this Energon.

"You shouldn't have," Airachnid chuckled as she went to claim the cluster.

"What?! You reject a Commander but grovel at the feet of that wrench?!" Starscream exclaimed in disbelief as he stepped forward.

"Starscream, don't get your turbines in a twist. After all, the best and I are somewhat related. You might even say we are of…one mind," Airachnid shrugged.

"Why are you here?" Starscream asked with a sneer, "Decepticons never return to stripped mines!"

"You are not the only rogue Decepticon in need of Energon," Airachnid stated dryly as she gestured to the leaking Energon from her dismembered limb.

"Was it running into the Autobots; specifically, Arcee and Talida's handiwork? Or did Megatron invite you on one of his 'field trips'?" Starscream wanted to know.

"Megatron was otherwise engaged. But you should see his lackey," Airachnid smirked, referring to what she did to Breakdown moments before.

"You know, Airachnid, as fellow outcasts, we should consider putting aside our differences. With this creature under your control and at our disposal, we might employ it to terminate Megatron…allowing us to rule the Decepticons," Starscream suggested.

"Together?" Airachnid repeated.

"Simply to lure Megatron here away from his support system so we might catch him," Starscream went on.

"With his guard down," Airachnid finished, quickly catching on to his proposal, "An intriguing proposal…if ruling Decepticons or spending any length of time with you were of the slightest interest to me. Of course, you had me at terminate Megatron. Payback would be sweet."

"However you wish to spin it," Starscream grumbled.

"I would need to insure that my assassin is up to the task," Airachnid pointed out, "Perhaps a test run is in order."

"What?! I thought we were partners!" Starscream cried.

"Eviscerate him!" Airachnid instructed.

The Insecticon was eager to please Airachnid and immediately went to work. Starscream screamed in horror as the Insecticon rapidly approached him. Immediately, he knew that after this…

He would need a medic.

* * *

And that medic, once again, would be Ratchet.

"What is it?" Bulkhead asked as he stepped forward with Ratchet.

"A high-frequency signal with an embedded message," Ratchet answered.

"Again?" Bulkhead moaned, remembering what happened last time.

"Starscream," Ratchet snarled before reading, "I have obtained information that may be of extreme interest to you. Bring medical kit."

* * *

Starscream decided not to add 'Come alone' to his message like he did last time, knowing that Ratchet wouldn't and bring someone with him for protection. When Starscream reached out to him, Ratchet had brought Bulkhead along. While he lay there with Energon bleeding from his behind, he hoped he'd come. The sound of a GroundBridge opening provided the answer to his prayers. Bulkhead was the first to jump out of the GroundBridge portal, heavily armed. Obviously, he was checking the area for threats in case they fell into a trap.

"Clear!" Bulkhead called, causing Ratchet to step out of the portal with his kit.

"Make it fast," Ratchet instructed.

"It would appear that, like myself, Airachnid has gone rogue," Starscream told him.

"What's it to us?" Ratchet scoffed.

"She is planning to retaliate against Me…mankind," Starscream lied slightly, knowing that they would lose interest if he told them about her plans to terminate Megatron, "I can provide you with her current location."

"I don't believe you," Ratchet growled.

"Why wouldn't you? I directed you to the Decepticon Space Bridge so you could rescue Orion Pax, hadn't I?" Starscream reminded them.

"Yeah! But then you helped MECH steal Bumblebee's T-Cog and almost killed my goddaughter!" Bulkhead retorted as he stepped forward menacingly.

"So?! He got it back, didn't he?! And your goddaughter's still alive, isn't she?!" Starscream whimpered, before pleading as they went to return to base, "I admit! Allying myself with those vile humans was a colossal error in judgment! But I am alone! I do what I must to survive! But I have paid the price! I am now the one missing his T-Cog!"

"You're grounded?!" Bulkhead repeated in surprise and disbelief.

"Thus of little, if any, threat to you," Starscream promised, "But Airachnid and her Insecticon intend to-."

"An Insecticon?! Here?!" Ratchet cried in disbelief.

"How?!" Bulkhead demanded.

"And I would have asked. But I was too busy squeezing through a narrow crevice trying to keep the vermin from chewing my leg off while Airachnid watched," Starscream growled.

Ratchet and Bulkhead couldn't believe what they were hearing from Starscream. An Insecticon was here on Earth and – even worse – under Airachnid's control. The only thing that would follow from this arrangement…

Was chaos.

* * *

"The reason for our inability to locate Breakdown's signal is all too clear. But how is it you were unable to uncover his remains?!" Megatron demanded Dreadwing before an alarm went off.

"What is it?!" Malita demanded Soundwave.

"_Heard from Breakdown lately?_"

"Trace the communication," Megatron and Malita immediately instructed Soundwave.

"_Megatron, really. You've sent simple henchmen to terminate a high-ranking officer! I thought you reserve that honor for yourself._"

"Is that a challenge?" Megatron wanted to know, his gladiatorial instincts coming to light after millennia of being hidden away.

"_An invitation. And since Soundwave is no doubt tracing this signal, you know where to find me._"

"I'll be back," Megatron promised as he went to leave.

"Father, it's too dangerous," Malita objected.

While she hated being part of the Decepticons, she still loved her father dearly despite what he had done to her. And she knew how dangerous Airachnid was. She had heard of what she had done to Arcee and Talida on multiple occasions. What were the chances that she wouldn't hesitate to do the same to him?

"Master, allow me to accompany you," Dreadwing pleaded.

"You already had your chance," Megatron snarled before leaving.

* * *

"Uh oh," Talida muttered as she read the signal on the screen, "Here we go again, Arcee!"

"The coordinates Starscream provided are in the area within an abandoned Decepticon mine," Ratchet observed.

"Hold up! You just fixed him up and sent him away?!" Arcee exclaimed in disbelief.

"What were you thinking?!" Bumblebee asked.

"What were we supposed to do? Bring him back here?!" Bulkhead retorted.

"Not that I wouldn't jump at any chance to take Airachnid down, but she isn't the only one who tried to rob me of a partner! She's not the only one who's tried to take my family away from me!" Arcee growled, ready to slit someone's throat if she had the opportunity.

"You weren't there, Arcee! Starscream was weak! Defenseless!" Bulkhead defended himself.

"He was also weak and defenseless when he tried to kill us that time!" Talida snapped, not willing to let that go.

"And learning of the Insecticon could prove highly tactical! Starscream's Intel has proved credible in the past," Ratchet pointed out.

"Sure! When he wasn't busy stabbing us in the back!" Arcee snarled.

"Without the resources we possessed on Cybertron, we lack ready means of capturing and imprisoning our enemies," Optimus stated as he walked in, "Nonetheless, I do not condone the termination of any defenseless life form."

"Yeah. You say that. But I'm sure if the roles were reversed, Starscream wouldn't hesitate," Talida snapped.

"Talida," Optimus warned.

"Shut up, Dad. Now I don't know about you. I don't know about everybody else. But I certainly know this about me. I'm done. I'm done waiting for Starscream to come after us again. I'm done waiting for Airachnid to make another attempt to hunt us down. I'm done missing chances," Talida spat, "I don't want to wait around while you miss multiple chances to terminate Megatron. Because I'm done. I'm done waiting!"

"I should confine you to base for disobeying direct orders from a superior officer," Optimus stated.

"You'll try," Talida growled, her blue eyes blazing as the two glared at each other, "Just remember something, dad. I'm your _daughter. Not one of your foot soldiers._ Stop treating me as such."

"Then act like it," Optimus snarled.

"For Primus sake, Dad! Everything's changed! We're not the same anymore! Stop trying to ignore it! Stop trying to think that everything will just return to the way it was! Because it's never going to happen!" Talida snapped, "So do us all a favor and get your head out of the past and stop wishing for the inevitable! Because if you keep going, by the time you finally snap out of it, we'll be gone!"

It could have been done in a better way. But Optimus needed the wakeup call.

He just wished it didn't hurt so much.

* * *

For Megatron, it didn't take long to fly to the location Airachnid contacted him from. True to his word, he had come alone, despite the objections from Malita and Dreadwing. When he transformed into his bipedal mode, Airachnid stepped out.

"You don't waste time," Airachnid smirked.

"Your stay of execution has come to an end," Megatron decreed as he charged his blaster.

However, he didn't get the chance to fire. The Insecticon, who jumped him and tackled him to the ground, attacked him from above. With ease, Megatron threw him off of him and into the rock wall.

"I will leave you two to get acquainted," Airachnid decided as she walked away.

"Bow before Megatron, your leader," Megatron requested.

Too enchanted by Airachnid, the Insecticon was. Too controlled by her, the Insecticon was.

"I said bow-," Megatron's growl was cut off by him being tackled to the ground.

Eventually, he was pinned against the wall by the influenced Insecticon, who was snarling and roaring as he prepared to deliver the final blow and make the kill. Airachnid watched on from her rocky perch with a smirk planted on her face. Payback is sweet. She was going to enjoy watching the tyrant fall from grace. After all, the bigger the pedestal, the bigger the target…

The harder the fall.

Unfortunately for Airachnid, Megatron had managed to gain the upper hand. Using his strength, he freed one hand and fired a shot at the Insecticon, who was knocked away from him and skidded across the ground for several feet. However, the Insecticon wasn't gonna let Megatron keep the upper hand. Transforming into his alternative form, he flew towards the Decepticon lord. Assisting in the fight, Airachnid webbed Megatron's blaster shut, preventing firepower from being a factor. The Insecticon jumped him once again and threw him into the wall multiple times. He was thrown into the air and the Insecticon followed, slicing at his arm. Megatron cried out in pain as his arm burned from pain. Additional firepower forced Megatron to finally fall to the ground below. Weakened, but not down for the count, Megatron stood up ready to fight again. Airachnid chuckled. It wouldn't be long before he finally fell from his pedestal. After years of his tyranny, it was close to finally coming to an end. Once again, Airachnid found herself speaking too soon as Megatron knocked the beast away.

"You and your beast would do well to remember I honed my skills in the pits of Kaon!" Megatron decreed as he unsheathed his sword as he resumed his attack.

* * *

Outside the abandoned mine, away from the ongoing battle between tyrant and beast, Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Talida stepped out of the GroundBridge portal. After much convincing, Optimus decided to investigate. Begrudgingly, he brought Arcee and Talida with him, knowing that no matter how hard he tried; he wouldn't be able to keep them away from the battle. Lightning struck around them as they glanced down into the darkened mine.

"Proceed with extreme caution," Optimus warned.

* * *

Sword and claw clanged together as Megatron made and blocked attacks. They would jump. They would fly. They would dance. They would battle. Airachnid was sitting on her perch watching in horror as the battle changed tides dramatically like the battle between Primus and Unicron so long ago. Fortunately, she didn't notice the arrival of the Autobots above her.

"Finish him!" Airachnid screamed.

"Whoa! Scream never mentioned Megatron!" Bulkhead recalled.

"It would seem Starscream orchestrated this convergence in the hope that all his enemies would destroy each other on his behalf," Optimus rumbled through his battle mask.

"And I fell for it!" Bulkhead moaned.

"You in or you out?" Talida asked Arcee as she unsheathed her sword, which glowed in her touch.

"I'm in," Arcee nodded before turning to the others, "You can have whatever's left of Megatron! Airachnid's ours!"

"Arcee, Talida, no!" Optimus cried as Arcee and Talida jumped into battle.

"Hold on!" Talida pleaded as she jumped off and took a swipe at the Insecticon, causing Megatron to glance at his niece with confusion written on his face, "Hey. Even though you're my uncle, I hate your guts. But I hate Airachnid and Insecticons more. If you wanna defeat this guy, think like the gladiator you are. Ask yourself this: if you were battling this Insecticon in the gladiatorial pits in Kaon or Slaughter City, how would you defeat him?"

"I'll head your advice, my dear niece," Megatron promised.

"NOW we can attack her," Talida said to Arcee, "AIRACHNID, YOU'RE DEAD!"

Arcee and Talida knocked Airachnid off her pedestal and into the rock wall. Slightly amused, Airachnid stood up on her spider legs and prepared for a fight.

"You two," Airachnid sneered.

Arcee and Talida said nothing. They simply charged and began their attack.

* * *

Megatron truly took his niece's advice to spark and attacked the Insecticon the way he would if he was battling him in the gladiatorial pits. After kicking him to the wall, Megatron stood in the middle of the ring prepared to claim victory. Then… he noticed Optimus, Bulkhead and Bumblebee up ahead.

"So many surprises today," Megatron remarked.

The Insecticon jumped from behind ready to attack him again. However, Megatron never gave it a chance.

He swiped.

* * *

She fired.

Airachnid retreated further into the mines to avoid Arcee and Talida's attacks. However, Arcee and Talida were two people who didn't give up that easy. Together, the two of them danced around avoid Airachnid's dangerous webs. Occasionally, Arcee would unfold her two blasters and return fire against her. Talida would do the same. Instead of using blasters, she used her powers. Airachnid burrowed herself into the wall of the mine in the hopes of escaping.

"Let me ask you. If I told you to stay behind, would you?" Arcee asked Talida.

"We're in this together. I'm not letting you face her alone," was Talida's answer.

Arcee and Talida, refusing to let up, immediately went in after the spider femme. The fact that she could be luring them into a trap overcame their processors. However, they ignored the nagging voice in their CPU telling them to retreat. Airachnid has held the upper hand for far too long. They were tired of it. Determined, Arcee and Talida retreated deeper into the rising darkness, leaving the fading light behind for the rising storms. Tonight…

They were going to gain the upper hand.

Or so they thought.

* * *

Using a move he obtained in the gladiatorial pits, Megatron held the two arms of the Insecticon and kicked at his torso with force. This succeeded in partially dismantling him. The arms were separated from the body. Then with the one last swipe, he decapitated the ruthless Insecticon. He thought like a gladiator. He spoke like a gladiator. He acted like a gladiator. He fought like a gladiator.

"Let that be a warning to anyone who dares cross a gladiator of Kaon! Be that Decepticon!" Megatron stopped as Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Optimus jumped in front of him and aimed their blasters at him, "Or Autobot!"

Losing the strength to stay on his feet, Megatron fell to his knees then to his face. This amazed the Autobots, who finally had the chance to end this once and for all. They have been waiting for this moment since the war began millennia ago. Everyone hoped that Optimus wouldn't pass this up like he always did before.

"It would seem that I'm unarmed and are at your mercy," Megatron smirked, "So tell me, baby brother. Do you intend to take me alive or end this here and now?"

Optimus didn't say a word. Instead, he unfolded his blasters and charged them. One thing that he did was take Talida's words to spark. He passed this opportunity up too many times. He, once again, had the chance to end the war.

Who was he to pass it up?

However, Optimus didn't get the chance. Firepower came at them from above. Looking up, they saw Dreadwing and other drones flying into the mind. Megatron looked up, muttering to himself,

"The surprises never cease."

Dreadwing transformed into his bipedal form and landed behind Megatron. Drones landed around the Autobots, causing them to aim their blasters at each other.

"Oh scrap," Bulkhead muttered to himself.

* * *

Arcee and Talida weren't faring that well either. They ran through the tunnel. However, they weren't able to find Airachnid in the rising darkness around them. Talida was the only one that was armed as she walked ahead of Arcee, who was crawling on all fours.

_SLOSH!_

Arcee and Talida froze nervously as they looked down. Arcee tried to lift her hands. However, she couldn't as they were covered with the familiar web. Talida tried to lift her feet and found the soles of her boots covered in the same web. The two girls looked at each other in horror as they realized the trap they walked into.

"Scrap!" both girls cursed.

They let out cries as they were suddenly flung into the air and wrapped in a cocoon. Talida was trapped against Arcee's chest with the web up to her collarbones. Arcee was completely wrapped in the cocoon up to her arm rotators. Immediately, they began struggling. However, the web was stronger this time. Airachnid stood on the tree above them, tightening the web on the branch. This time, she wasn't going to let them escape.

"This might not be the day I take Megatron's spark. But it is the day I remove yours," Airachnid decreed as she tapped Talida's chest with her clawed finger.

"NO!" Arcee screamed.

Shots came from the direction of a hill. However, it wasn't blaster fire. It was a missile. Airachnid was hit by the missile and knocked away from the girls. Starscream was sliding down the hill and becoming their unsuspected savior.

"How right you were, Airachnid. Payback is sweet," Starscream smirked as he fired another shot at her.

Airachnid burrowed into the ground as Starscream fired another missile at her. Arcee and Talida glanced at each other incredulously to the best of their ability.

Who knew that one of their greatest enemies would become their savior?

* * *

"Deliver Megatron to us and I will allow you to live," Dreadwing promised.

"Never trust a 'Con! Kick Bucket Head's bucket!" Bulkhead encouraged him.

Optimus thought about this. If they kill Megatron, they wind up being killed. However, if they let 'bucket head' live, the Decepticons would get away. Essentially, there was no way to end the war at that current moment.

"Dreadwing, do I have your word?" Optimus asked.

Dreadwing didn't voice his decision. He used his actions to speak volumes. Stowing away his weapon, he nodded at the Autobot commander. Knowing that Dreadwing would keep his word, Optimus folded his blasters back into his arms. Begrudgingly, everyone did the same.

"My liege," Dreadwing said as he helped Megatron to his feet.

Bumblebee and Bulkhead walked towards Optimus and stood either side of him. They knew what was coming next.

"Dreadwing might have given you his word. But I did not. DESTROY THEM!" Megatron roared.

The Autobots and Decepticons began firing at each other immediately. Now, Optimus was wishing he didn't let Megatron live. They would have ended up like this either way. Megatron and Dreadwing took the chance to make a hasty retreat from the scene. When they were in the air, Megatron said this to Dreadwing,

"You disobeyed my orders in following me here. …You will make a fine first lieutenant."

* * *

The Autobots continued their battle with the Decepticon drones until there was none left standing.

"That was intense," Bulkhead remarked.

Now they only had one thing to worry about.

* * *

"Now, if there's two things I despise more than eight-leggers, it's two-wheelers and techno-organics," Starscream sneered.

"Go on. Get it over with," Arcee growled.

"What are you waiting for?" Talida asked.

"As I recollect, in a similar predicament, you two once allowed me to live," Starscream pointed out.

"You didn't really give us much of a choice," Talida pointed out.

The two of them closed their eyes as they waited for him to give the final blow. Like them, he had let many chances of killing them slip between his fingers. However, now that he had the chance, would he act on it?

_SWIPE!_

To their surprise, Arcee and Talida didn't find themselves fighting for life. Instead, they found themselves on the forest floor with Starscream over them. Deciding it wasn't worth it, he cut them down from the branch above them. However, he didn't cut them out of the cocoon.

"Consider us even," Starscream decided as he walked away.

"_Arcee, Talida, what is your status?_"

"In need of assist. But alive," Arcee answered.

"And unfortunately, _so is Airachnid._"

"At least Megatron took care of the other bug problem," Bulkhead remarked as he, Bumblebee and Optimus raced to where Arcee and Talida were.

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Optimus asked when they later found them.

"We weren't," Talida admitted.

"You were right. Vengeance does cloud our judgment," Arcee relented, remembering what Optimus had told her during their last encounter with Airachnid and Starscream four months ago.

"Well, as long as you have learned your lesson," Optimus relented as he scooped them up.

"Hey. You gonna cut us out or what?" Talida demanded, "This web itches and I think a good pair of boots are ruined."

* * *

After getting away, Airachnid retreated into another part of the mine. Needless to say, she was mad.

"Starscream. I vow I will have your head," Airachnid vowed before noticing her surroundings, "So my warrior was merely a scout."

She had stumbled into a cave filled with stasis pods in every crevice. Stasis pods that contained hibernating Insecticons that would be at her disposal.

This won't be good.

"_I walk alone.  
__I walk a…_

_I walk this empty street,  
__On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams.  
__When the city sleeps,  
__And I'm the only one and I walk a…_

_My shadow's the only one that walk's beside me!  
__My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating!  
__Sometimes I wish someone up there will find me!  
_'_Til then I walk alone…_"

* * *

**Oh no! I don't know which episode I hate more! This one or the next one!**

**Don't know what I mean? Check out the promo!**

* * *

_Show 'Optimus' hitting Fowler_

_Show Fowler nearly falling off the bridge_

_Show Bumblebee leaning down to catch him_

_**Next time in Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

'_Optimus': I am Optimus Prime. And I bring you this message._

_Fowler: All the military bases are under attack by Optimus Prime._

_Talida: That's impossible!_

_Soldier: OPEN FIRE!  
_

_Show the Autobots retreating_

_Show Silas glaring dramatically into the camera_

_Show Optimus unfolding his blaster_

_Show Optimus witnessing an explosion_

_Fowler: If Prime has gone off the rails, we have a serious problem._

_Talida: They'll show no mercy._

_Show 'Optimus' destroying helicopters in his vehicle form_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction**_

_Show Optimus jumping up to deliver a final blow_

* * *

**SEE WHAT I MEAN?!**

**BYE!**


	5. Nemesis Prime

**God, I'm tired! But since I love you guys, I'm gonna persevere.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!  
**

**devildog452: **_**I've been leaving you comments why haven't you answered?**_

**You know why. I told you in a PM.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**FREAKING AWESOME! :D But R.I.P. Breakdown. DX**_

**He will be missed.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**Oh I hate that episode too**_

**But it leads to the next one which will be interesting.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! Nemesis Prime is personally one of my favorite episodes!**_

**I'll admit. The best part was when Silas was crushed by Nemesis Prime. :D**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Oh yeah, the next episode is a little rough. I still don't see how anyone could've been fooled by that cheap knock-off. Please update!**_

**I don't get it either.**

**VDSWarriorQueen: **_**On our planet, marriage doesn't matter how old you are. My parents got married at the ages of 14 and 16.**_

_**Teridax Prime: At least they're engaged.**_

_**I know dad, but still… What can I say, I'm a sucker for love.**_

**Did you NOT see Optimus go off whenever Bumblebee suggested they share a room?**

**Tellingitlikeitis1541: **_**Nice chapter,really suspenseful.I almost fell out of my bed. **_

**Yikes. Better put something soft to land on next to your bed.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Everytime I watch this episode I wonder if Starscream actually has some good in him. And for Malita's mother, I'm going on a limb and guessing either Nadia or Airachnid.**_

…**you didn't read the hint from last chapter, did you? I said that Talida's mother makes an appearance in Love and Forever. Nadia hasn't appeared. She's dead like Rayna. And how in the name of Primus can Megatron rape Airachnid and Airachnid give birth to a techno-organic? Think about it for a minute.**

**Autobot StarRacer: **_**KICK HER AFT AUTOBOTS! Slaggit Optimus you had your chance AGAIN! Update soon!**_

**Think about this for a minute. If Optimus killed Megatron or vice versa, there'd be no more Transformers: Prime.**

**haloangel21: **_**When Starscream said, "Payback is sweet," I almost died. Never have I heard a Decepticon, like Starscream, say that…in a fashion.**_

_**MMM…I wonder if the producers are planning to have Optimus do something like Ratchet did while under the anesthesia, it'd be hilarious! But knowing the bot, we may never get the chance…**_

**There's a chance with Bulkhead. Arcee…slightly bigger than Optimus. Jack would be pretty interesting.**

**Abyss Prime: **_**I hate this one more… Update soon!  
**_

**Don't we all?**

**Jacob Deitz: **_**How about put the game in your storys the game is called Transformers Prime The Game.**_

**I appreciate the ideas. Do you mind cutting back a bit? I can't fit it all into my arc.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Lies Greed Misery**_** belongs to Linkin Park and their record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_I'mma be that nail in your coffin!  
__Sayin' that I softened!  
__I was duckin' down to reload!  
__So you can save your petty explanations!  
__I don't have the patience!  
__Before you even say it, I know!  
__You let your pride or your ego,  
__Talk slick to me! No!  
__That is not the way I get down!  
__And look at how you lose your composure!  
__Now let me show you,  
__Exactly how the breaking point sounds!_

_I wanna see you choke on your lies!  
__Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_

_Choke on your lies!  
Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_"

It was a quiet night when Fowler pulled out of the army base after a day at work. Personally, he was looking forward to getting away from the stress of work for the weekend. Due to the joint custody arrangements made during the divorce process, Fowler is able to have his teenage daughters every weekend and every second week. And as per this arrangement, he didn't have his daughters just for the weekend. But for the upcoming week as well.

"At ease, soldier," Fowler said to the soldier who saluted at him, saluting in return.

The gate rose and Fowler sped off to his house. Being a regular government agent was enough to drain the energy of any person. But being a government agent that is the liaison between the United States Government and the good team of intergalactic beings that are locked in a war that has spilled over onto their world? That's more exhausting than usual.

Beginning to relax already, Fowler decided to switch on the radio. A tune from the 80s flowed through his speakers and he couldn't help but hum along. Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he allowed himself to get lost in the music and his worries to slip away. He could worry about them on Monday. Nothing was going to keep him from enjoying a weekend with his two daughters. Not if he could help it.

However, there was something following him that was going to make him reconsider his plans for the weekend.

Bright headlights blinded him from behind. Thinking it was something else, he casually waved his hand out the open window, saying,

"Go around, you jerk!"

However, he didn't. Instead, he rammed into Fowler's car from behind. Gasping, Fowler performed a skidding 360-degree turn before coming to a stop. Looking up in shock, he quickly added horror to his list of emotions he was currently feeling. This was something that he was going to have a hard time believing.

"That's no road rage! Someone's trying to bump me off!" Fowler cried, before realizing just who was making the life-threatening attempts, "Prime?!"

Was he hallucinating?

Or was Optimus Prime actually trying to bump him off the road?

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_What is it you want me to tell you?!  
I am not the failure!  
__I would rather live and let be!  
__But you came with the right kind of threat to,  
__Push me to let you!  
__No! You can't intimidate me!  
__You disrespect me so clearly!  
__Now you better hear me!  
__That is now the way it goes down!  
__You did it to yourself and it's over!  
__Now let me show you,  
__Exactly how the breaking point sounds!_

_I wanna see you choke on your lies!  
__Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_

_Choke on your lies!  
__Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_

_I wanna see you choke on your lies!  
__Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_

_Choke on your lies!  
__Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_"

Thinking quickly, Fowler immediately changed gears and sped away. His tires skidded against the road as he reversed a few feet before performing a 180-degree turn and racing away for his life. The truck continued to follow him, desperate to complete his mission. Fowler wasn't going to let that happen.

"Prime! Have you flipped your metal wig?!" Fowler screamed at him.

* * *

Completely oblivious to everything that was going on, everyone else was at base enjoying themselves. Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf decided to race each other with remote control cars. Jack was blue, Talida was white, Miko was red and Raf was yellow. Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Cayden decided to take part as well as the cheering spectators. So far, Raf and Talida were tied for first place, Miko was in second place and Jack was coming last.

"Metal to the pedal, Miko!" Bulkhead encouraged.

"Go, Jack! Go!" Arcee cheered.

"No! Raf and Talida are scorching us!" Miko decreed.

"_Prime!_"

"Uh-oh," Talida cringed.

"You think he found the prank?" Miko asked Talida quietly.

"Hope not," Talida whispered back before to Fowler, "Which Prime do you want? Junior or senior?"

"_Senior! Do you read me?!_"

"I'm sorry, Agent Fowler. Optimus isn't here at the moment," Ratchet told him.

"_Then I'll take that as a confirmation that he's presently trying to run me off the road!_"

"What?!" Talida exclaimed as she suddenly steered her car into the others, "That's impossible!"

"Agent Fowler, that hardly seems likely," Ratchet objected.

* * *

"Tell that to my burning treds!" Fowler retorted as he continued to burn rubber on the road.

As they came up to the bridge, the truck was close to colliding with Fowler's rear bumper. When they were on the bridge, the truck pulled up next to Fowler and resumed his work. The truck collided with the side of Fowler's car and pushed him to the edge of the bridge. Sparks could be seen as the metal of Fowler's car grinded against the metal of the barrier of the bridge. When the truck eventually backed off, Fowler lost control of the car and crashed into the barrier. Like a seesaw, the car dangled at the edge of the bridge, dangerously close to falling into the gorge below.

"Come on! Come on…," Fowler gritted as he switched gears and tried to back up.

He grunted as the truck came forward and pounded Fowler, unbalancing his car even more. Turning towards the truck, he gave one final plea,

"Prime! No!"

A GroundBridge opened nearby and Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee sped towards the scene. Like Fowler, they refused to believe what they were seeing. They were seeing a truck that looked like Optimus trying to knock Fowler over the edge of the bridge. However, they didn't have time to think about that. They immediately raced to action.

Seeing Fowler's car about to go over, Bumblebee jumped into action. Literally. He transformed into his bipedal mode and jumped the few remaining feet between him and Fowler. Reaching downwards, he barely managed to grab Fowler's rear bumper before Fowler was lost forever. To prevent falling over himself, Bumblebee grabbed onto what was left of the barrier. Fowler cried in relief. Turning to Bumblebee, the relief was written all over his face as well. Sure. Fowler has had many close calls with his life before. But nothing like this.

"Looks like Optimus," Bulkhead observed as he and Arcee transformed while the Optimus lookalike sped away.

"Primes don't run. Especially my spark mate," Arcee retorted as she transformed and chased after him.

Bulkhead immediately raced forward to pull Bumblebee and Fowler onto the bridge. However, more trouble happened. The rear bumper broke from Fowler's car. His cries could be heard as he fell front bumper first towards the gorge below. Luckily, Bulkhead wasn't about to let that happening. Jumping down, he managed to land in the gorge first and catch Fowler before any serious damage was made.

"You alright in there?" Bulkhead asked.

"At ease, soldier," Fowler panted, before grunting as he was hit in the face by his airbag, '_NOW it pops up._'

* * *

Arcee didn't know what to expect as she came to an abandoned part of town. There was no sign of Optimus anywhere, having lost him a few miles before. Slowing to a stop, she used her headlights to search the abandoned gas station. Nothing. No sign of her spark mate. She couldn't help but wonder something.

What was going on?

The revving of an engine filled her audio receptors from a few miles beside her. Turning around, she was too much in shock to retaliate or defend herself. Darkness immediately welcomed her as well as the burning sensation of pain. There was no doubt that Optimus would be able to feel _that_ in their bond.

* * *

"That's it. Follow the light."

When she began opening her eyes, she saw she was in the medical chamber. Ratchet was standing before her with the giant flashlight in his hand worriedly. When they had heard of what happened, they immediately bridged her to base.

"Wait. WHAT?!" Arcee cried when the words Ratchet said managed to sink in, "Not the best choice of words, Ratchet."

"Arcee, are you alright?" Jack asked worriedly as Bumblebee and Ratchet helped Arcee out of the chamber.

"Sure…except for being blindsided by Optimus," Arcee answered tiredly.

"Didn't I tell you?!" Fowler exclaimed.

"Impossible!" Ratchet scoffed.

"It isn't true!" Talida cried.

"I'm only reporting what I saw," Arcee defended herself.

"Why would Optimus try to knock off Agent Fowler?" Jack pondered aloud, "And blindside Arcee? They're spark mates. If she gets hurt, he feels it too."

"Maybe Optimus believes he's a Decepticon all over again," Raf suggested.

"Or he's been faking being a good guy all this time!" Miko piped in.

"Miko, I love you. But that suggestion makes me wanna smash your face in with a pipe," Talida said.

"If Prime has gone off the rails for any reason, we have a serious problem," Fowler proclaimed.

"This is absurd! A quick check for Optimus' signal will reveal that he was nowhere near the location of tonight's incident!" Ratchet said as he ran the check, "In fact, he's just returning now."

Everyone watched warily as Optimus returned into the base and transformed. Optimus was confused. What was going on?

"Is something wrong?" Optimus asked.

"Just…wondering where you've been," Arcee answered.

"We haven't been able to reach you," Bulkhead piped in, causing Talida to sigh in frustration and face palm while muttering that her family consisted of idiots.

"I have been outside of our communication range – both bond and otherwise," Optimus began as he went to retrieve something.

"WHOA!" Arcee cried as everyone flipped their guns.

"Easy!" Bulkhead chided.

Fowler immediately pushed the kids behind his body to protect them in case Optimus did anything rash.

"In a subterranean Energon deposit," Optimus finished as he pulled out a glowing Energon shard, causing everyone to drop their weapons.

"Come on! It's our guy! Can't you tell?!" Jack asked dryly.

"I've been trying to tell you lugnuts where he was!" Talida yelled in frustration, "And does anyone listen to me?! No!"

Dismantling their weapons, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee turned to Talida with one word,

"Sorry."

"Wait. How did you know where he was?" Miko asked.

"Hello," Talida sang as she and Optimus held up the communicators they built months ago, "If it worked when Arcee, Jack and I were stranded on Cybertron, it'll work if Dad's in a subterranean Energon deposit."

"We're sorry," Arcee apologized sheepishly.

"Don't blame them, Prime. I was attacked earlier tonight on an open highway by a big rig. One that bore a striking resemblance to you," Fowler clarified.

"And when Arcee gave chase, she was blindsided," Talida piped in.

"Are you alright?" Optimus asked worriedly as he held her close.

"I've had worse," Arcee shrugged it off.

"Guys, we may have a problem," Talida began, earning everybody's attention, "I have a feeling that the attacks on Fowler and Arcee were just the beginning. And that whoever's behind this is planning something big."

* * *

The big rig was driving down the same highway Fowler was driving towards the military base.

"Halt!" the soldier cried.

Two honks were the only warnings given. The soldier dove out of the way as 'Optimus' smashed through the barrier preventing access to the base. Once inside, he began smashing helicopters, causing soldiers to run for their lives. Military police cars and helicopters surrounded him as he came to a stop.

"This is a restricted area. Exit the vehicle or we will open fire!"

When nothing happened, two soldiers moved forward cautiously. When they reached the door, they swung it wide open and cocked their semi-automatic weapons. To their surprise, there was no one behind the steering wheel. Wait. This truck drove _itself_ into a restricted military base and destroyed their helicopters?!

Their suspicions were answered as they witness the truck transform into a Cybertronian being. One that very closely resembled the Cybertronian being they entrusted their fates with.

"I am Optimus Prime. Leader of the Autobots. And I bring you this message," 'Optimus' rumbled as he unfolded his cannon and fired.

* * *

"Fowler," Fowler answered his incoming call, "What?! That's not possible! I can tell you sure as there are 50 stars on my star-bangled shorts it isn't him! …Alden Military Base is under attack by Optimus Prime."

"The truck?" Jack guessed.

"The bot," Fowler corrected.

"You've got to be kidding," Talida moaned as everyone glanced at Optimus, who was as startled as they were.

* * *

"FIRE! FIRE!" soldiers cried as they struggled to return fire.

Fires were sprouting all over the place as soldiers desperately searched for cover. Having fought alongside the Autobots for years, they knew how deadly their firepower was. They didn't want to be at the receiving end of that blaster. There seemed to be no stopping from the imposter's rapid gunfire. That is until a GroundBridge appeared and Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee stepped out. Realizing that more trouble was underway, 'Optimus' made a hasty retreat. However, the damage had already been done.

"There! He brought reinforcements! Resume fire!" one soldier instructed.

The four Autobots barely managed to avoid being struck by a missile.

"Autobots! Return to base! We must not inflict human casualties!" Optimus instructed.

Everyone turned to run for their lives as the military continued their fire. One of the weapons they fired was a missile. The GroundBridge portal barely had time to shut before the missile made impact. Luckily for the Autobots, they survived.

However, it will only get worse.

* * *

"No, General Bryce. Optimus Prime did not attack our boys. Because I was with Prime when I received the alert! Yes, sir. The Autobots were at your base. Only in response to the initial attack! But, sir! I… Yes, sir. I understand," Fowler sighed before hanging up.

"So what's the damage?" Jack asked.

"All military personnel are under strict orders to destroy any and all bots on site," Fowler announced.

"Fowler, say what?!" Talida gaped.

"Are you kidding?!" Jack demanded.

"But they're innocent!" Raf protested.

"Optimus was framed!" Miko added.

"Though unfortunate, the military order changes nothing. Our imposter clearly poses a grave threat to humanity," Optimus rumbled.

"A 30 foot transforming imposter," Fowler added, causing everyone to figure out what they meant.

"They actually did it. Those butchers managed to crack the code!" Ratchet snarled.

"MECH," Optimus growled.

* * *

From his controls, Silas controlled every aspect of the transforming imposter. The steering. The speed. The transformation. Everything related to this clone. With a press of the button, the imposter transformed and shut down before him. Behind Silas, a MECH surgeon approached the control systems.

"Sir, any parallax or latency issues?" the MECH surgeon asked.

"The tele-presence interface performed flawlessly. In vehicular and robot mode," Silas answered happily.

* * *

"MECH abducted Breakdown. And by all indications, deconstructed him from cranial chamber to heel strut," Ratchet proclaimed.

"I was there," Bulkhead reminded everyone.

"And we know that more recently, they obtained Starscream's T-Cog," Optimus added.

"Which they evidently installed in a knockoff of you," Arcee piped in.

"Which, in turn, scanned an appropriate vehicle form," Ratchet went on.

"Fill the tank with Energon," Jack added.

"And say hello to Nemesis Prime," Miko finished.

"So where do we start? MECH's base could be anywhere," Fowler pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Optimus corrected.

"You got a theory?" Talida asked.

"While MECH learned much of our biology," Optimus began.

"They haven't necessarily absorbed our technology," Ratchet went on, "Without access to a GroundBridge, Nemesis Prime would rely solely on its vehicle mode for transportation."

"Chances are the MECH base," Arcee continued.

"Is in driving distance of both incidents," Talida finished in realization.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's get out there and mash MECH's science project!" Fowler cried.

"Agent Fowler, I do not think it advisable to put yourself in harms way of the robot again," Optimus protested, "And I know what you are thinking, Talida. I am not willing to put my daughter in harm's way either. I know you can handle yourself. But it isn't worth the risk."

"Well, I don't think it advisable for bots to go on recon with the military out there gunning for you!" Fowler retorted.

"We will maintain vehicular cover until absolutely necessary," Optimus promised.

"You guys be careful too," Talida pleaded, "I know this from personal experience. Once MECH gets their hands on you, they'll show no mercy. So watch your backs."

* * *

With those words said, the four Autobots went out on recon searching for MECH's base. However, the task was easier said then done.

"Nothing but tumble weeds," Bulkhead observed.

"Just a whole lot of empty," Arcee reported.

"I think I found something," Bumblebee proclaimed as he pulled up to an abandoned factory.

"_Bumblebee, proceed with upmost caution. Reconnaissance only. We will rendezvous with your coordinates._"

Bumblebee obeyed and proceeded with extreme caution.

* * *

However, that didn't stop him from being picked up on MECH's scanners.

"The Autobots are persistent. Time to meet their match," Silas smirked.

* * *

Bumblebee eventually transformed when it was clear. So far, he found nothing. That is…until he heard a voice. Immediately, Bumblebee unfolded his Energon stingers. There was a nagging feeling deep in his gut that something was wrong.

"Bumblebee, be on your guard. My double could be anywhere," Silas warned.

"How do I know you're not the double?" Bumblebee asked, refusing to lower his weapons.

"I'm sorry. What?" Silas stuttered.

That caused Bumblebee to attack. Silas simply blocked his attacks and beat Bumblebee into unconsciousness. Standing over him, he was satisfied with his work. He knew that Bumblebee wouldn't be rejoining the fight anytime soon.

One down. Three to go.

"Bumblebee! Do you read?!" Optimus called as he, Arcee and Bulkhead arrived at the factory, earning static in response.

"Fan out," Arcee suggested.

"And beware of anything that might resemble me," Optimus warned as they unfolded their weapons before splitting up.

* * *

Bulkhead travelled in between many building searching for Bumblebee and MECH. He remembered what happened during their past encounters with MECH. Specifically, Silas. He didn't want déjà vu to occur. However, that wasn't going to stop déjà vu.

Hearing a sound, Bulkhead turned around…only to be attacked from behind. Sparks flew between them as they tried to pound each other into scrap metal. However, Silas managed to land the most hits and Bulkhead went down crashing in a heap. Once again observing his work, Silas was satisfied.

Two down. Two to go.

* * *

Arcee knew firsthand what MECH was capable of. Remembering what happened with her, Jack, Talida, June, Airachnid and MECH, she couldn't allow herself to fall victim again. However, it wasn't up to her. She screamed out as a shot hit her in the side and knocked her down. She fell unconscious instantly. Silas couldn't be more satisfied about taking down Optimus Prime's spark mate

Three down. One to go.

* * *

"If I could isolate the control frequency remote link Silas is employing, I should be able to pinpoint his exact position," Ratchet decreed.

"Remote link?" Raf repeated in confusion.

"You didn't think MECH possessed the ability to create a completely autonomous robot, did you?!" Ratchet scoffed in disbelief.

"I was hoping that Silas would be operating the bot from inside. Because one punch from Bulkhead and BOO YA! BLEUH!" Miko said as she fell back to the floor in her demonstration before standing back up, much to everyone's amusement.

"A-ha! Frequency isolated!" Ratchet cheered.

"Then reopen that bridge," Fowler instructed.

"Agent Fowler, did you not hear Optimus advise against your involvement? It's for your own safety!" Ratchet objected.

"Look, Doc. I don't plan on dancing with any bots. But there's a human element on play here. And in case you haven't noticed, I happen to be a highly-trained, government-grade human," Fowler retorted.

"If you think you're going alone, you can think again," Talida said as she slid her sword into the invisible case on her back, "I've been waiting for months to knock MECH into next week and then knock them into the next one when they arrive. And I'll be more than happy to do that to you if you try to stop me."

"Yeah! Plus Silas tried to run him off the road and dissect Tally multiple times! It's personal!" Miko pointed out.

"Got that right," Talida nodded.

* * *

Optimus gaped in horror when he saw Arcee on the ground virtually lifeless. When he had felt the pain in his side, he had desperately prayed it wasn't true. With speeds everyone would be amazed with, he raced towards her body. Kneeling next to her, he gingerly moved her limp arm to examine her side. The metal was seared. It was what humans would consider a second-degree burn. A soft moan reassured Optimus that she was still alive and she would be all right. The second-degree burn on her side was nothing compared to his burning anger. His anger went beyond a third-degree burn. Even beyond a fourth degree burn.

Gently placing her arm where it was, he turned around and left her there, knowing that soon Ratchet would bridge her out of there and treat her injury. Unfolding his cannons, he glanced around, his burning eyes searching for him. When he rounded the corner, he came face to face with Nemesis Prime controlled by Silas.

"Optimus Prime. We meet again," Silas smirked.

"The deception ends here, Silas," Optimus decreed as he held his gun to Silas' face.

"Does it?" Silas retorted.

Shots were fired. Optimus managed to avoid all of Silas' shots and fire his own. Then…the fist battle began.

* * *

Fowler and Talida jumped through the GroundBridge portal before it closed behind them. Talida rolled her eyes a little when Fowler looked like he was going to be sick. Having travelled through the GroundBridge a lot, she was used to it.

"I think I'm going to toss the breakfast I ate back at flight school," Fowler moaned.

"Come on, you big baby," Talida rolled her eyes as she dragged him along.

_CLANG!_

Looking to their left, they saw Optimus and Silas locked in an intense battle. Ringing distracted them, causing Fowler to pick up his phone.

"_Agent Fowler, the control frequency is transmitting from a structure 100 meters due north!_"

"I see it!" Talida cried as she turned towards the building.

"Copy that," Fowler acknowledged as he hung up and he and Talida travelled towards the building.

* * *

There was an explosion as Optimus kicked Silas into a nearby power box. However, it wasn't enough to dismantle Nemesis Prime, much to Silas' pleasure. But it was enough to distract a MECH insurgent that was on a balcony nearby. Feeling something on his shoulder, he turned around and came face to face with Fowler and Talida. Before he could even react, he was knocked out with a punch.

"My robot chassis possess all your strength, speed and firepower. Something that your spark mate knows very well," Silas smirked.

That remarked added fuel to the fire. With a roar of anger, Optimus tackled Silas to the ground. However, he simply tossed him aside. This showed Optimus that should never fight when blinded by anger. It could potentially be fatal.

"Add my extensive combat training and MECH has clearly achieved the perfect meld between man and machine," Silas proclaimed.

Silas proceeded to climb up a pipe to the roof of a nearby building. Eager to extract revenge, Optimus quickly followed him up the pipe. Unsheathing their swords, they resumed the battle. Silas was stronger than Optimus, which was shown by Optimus' arms shaking at the weak resistance of said strength. However, Optimus was quick to regain the upper hand in the battle. Unfortunately, the upper hand didn't last long.

His optics widened as he felt a sharp intrusion in his body. Quickly, he realized that Silas had struck his sword inside his body.

"But the key difference between you and me…my body can't feel pain!" Silas decreed as he struck his body deeper into his body, relishing in the cries of pain, "This is just the beginning. Imagine an army of transforming robots. No one will stand against the newly rebooted MECH."

"Think again, Si."

"Agent Fowler. In the flesh at last," Silas smirked as he turned around, "Ah, and Talida Prime. Back for seconds, my dear?"

"And I brought a desert. It's a can of whoop ass!" Talida cackled.

"And we're pulling the plug on your video game!" Fowler decreed as he went to punch Silas…only to miss and get knocked on the ground, "Ex-military?"

"Special Tactics," Silas shrugged, "You?"

"Army Rangers," Fowler boasted as he landed a few punches.

"Retired, clearly," Silas observed dryly as he dodged more punches.

"I may be out of shape. But I-OH!" Fowler cried out as Silas punched him across the jaw, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Doy," Talida muttered to herself, "Never send a guy to do a girl's job!"

"I'm not above hitting a woman," Silas admitted.

"No wonder you can't keep a girlfriend," Talida remarked.

Talida quickly dodged a punch Silas threw at her and elbowed him in the stomach, knocking the air out of him as she jumped up and kicked his chest with two feet before falling onto her back. She lifted herself up with her arms and flipped back onto her feet before resuming her stance. Glancing at the screen, she saw that her injured father needed more time to carry out his little scheme. Time she was willing to give.

"Military training?" Silas guessed.

"Both Cybertronian, and US," Talida smirked as she round kicked him in the face.

"You fight like a jarhead," Silas pointed out before punching her in the eye and sending her hurtling to the ground.

"HEY! THAT'S MY FUTURE STEPDAUGHTER YOU JUST HIT!" Fowler snarled as he stood up again.

However, Silas simply knocked him to the ground again. This time, none of them went to resume the hand-to-hand combat. They didn't need to. Their job was done.

"It's like Fowler said before. We don't need to bust you up," Talida began.

"We just need to buy Prime a little time," Fowler finished with a smirk.

That was when Silas realized what was going to happen to his robot. Glancing at the screen, he saw Optimus prepare to take a swing at him. Though quick thinking, Silas managed to move the robot's arm to block the oncoming punch. Nothing else worked after that. Optimus began pounding Nemesis into scrap.

"No! No!" Silas gasped when none of his controls would respond.

Optimus kept on punching Nemesis until he fell onto the roof beneath them. Jumping up, Optimus clamped his hands together and landed on top of him. Managing to back away in time, he saw the nonresponsive body of Nemesis Prime fall through the roof.

Silas saw as his controls began to levitate. He was frozen in place by horror. Looking up, he saw his perfect creation falling down with nothing stopping him. He was going to be crushed.

"No! NO!" Silas cried.

Fowler and Talida ran away as Nemesis Prime finally landed on the ground. His yellow optics deactivated as he crushed the controls that operated him and his operator.

"WHOA!" Fowler yelled when the smoke cleared.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Talida remarked.

"Agent Fowler? Talida?"

All the two of them could do was sheepishly smile at the Prime standing on the roof holding his side.

"Hi, dad," Talida greeted.

The sound of helicopters distracted them. Looking up, they saw the military approaching. Unfortunately for Optimus, the order was still in place. If they spotted him, they had permission to shoot and kill on sight. Clearly, the military believes in the saying, 'Shoot first. Ask questions later.'

"That would be our boys. I'd advise you and Talida to get back to base, Prime. I'll handle Uncle Sam," Fowler promised.

* * *

"So how weird was it to see someone looking exactly like Optimus kicking the scrap out of you?" Miko asked Bulkhead when they returned to base to have their injuries tended to.

"Whew," Bulkhead whistled.

"Whoa boy," Talida muttered as she rested her head on Miko's shoulder, ice pack and everything.

"It's a sight I won't soon forget," Arcee remarked as she gingerly held Cayden in his arms, her side still sore from the shot.

"The question is whether MECH will function as we know it without its leader," Optimus stated as he placed his arm down after Ratchet melded the stab wound on his side.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't die. I mean, we've had trouble killing him before," Talida pointed out.

"_Well, here's a kicker. We've sifted through the wreckage with a fine toothcomb. And couldn't find any trace of Silas._"

"We just can't win, can we?" Talida sighed.

"Are you alright, Arcee?" Optimus asked worriedly.

"I've had worse. Remember?" Arcee chuckled dryly as Optimus took Cayden from her arms into his own with a kiss to her head.

"Yikes. That's a nasty black eye," Jack remarked as Talida removed the ice pack to reveal the bruise surrounding her beautiful blue eyes.

"Shut up," Talida grumbled.

"Just saying," Jack defended himself.

"You know something? Silas may be down for the count for the time being. But one thing's for certain. We haven't heard the last of MECH," Talida proclaimed.

* * *

"The internal damage to his organs is massive and beyond the scope of conventional medicine. Fortunately for our leader, MECH is anything but conventional," the MECH surgeon decreed with a smirk.

Silas was, indeed, still alive. But beyond being able to simply function. Lumps and bruises covered him. Machines monitored his vitals and helped him with even the simplest of functions, which ranged from breathing, voiding of the bladder and sustaining his nourishment.

Looking up, they saw what they were hooking their leader up to. It was a familiar face.

It was Breakdown's dismantled body.

"_You did it to yourself.  
__You did it to yourself.  
__You did it to yourself.  
__You did it to yourself._

_YOU DID IT TO YOURSELF!  
__YOU DID IT TO YOURSELF!  
__YOU DID IT TO YOURSELF!  
__YOU DID IT TO YOURSELF!_

_I wanna see you choke on your lies!  
Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_

_Choke on your lies!  
__Swallow up your greed!  
__Suffer all alone in your misery!_"

* * *

**Oh, oh, here we go-whoa! Here's the next episode-whoa!**

* * *

_General Bryce: Special Agent Fowler, Talida Prime, perhaps you can supply some background._

_**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_General Bryce: We shall begin with the demise of Optimus Prime._

_Talida: You're a moronic jackass. You know that, right? A moronic jackass who was no true knowledge of everything we've ever done for you._

_Fowler: Optimus Prime is a true patriot._

_Show Optimus deliver the final punch from Nemesis Prime_

_Miko: Whoa…_

_Show Arcee and Talida taking off from Darkness Rising, Part 1_

_General Bryce: We've been putting our trust in beings that could turn on us._

_Show Jack and Talida running away from an explosion from Predatory_

_Talida: They could shut down our operations!_

_Show helicopters approaching from Nemesis Prime_

_Show Megatron shooting from One Shall Rise, Part 2_

_Show MECH shooting at Optimus from Convoy_

_Show Optimus holding his blaster to Megatron's head from Crossfire_

_Miko: NEVER!_

_Show Optimus tumbling down a cliff from Convoy_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction…**_

_Talida: Nobody goes around trying to blacken my father's name and expects to get away with it._

_Show Optimus charging at the camera to punch from One Shall Rise_

* * *

**OK. This one's gonna be hard to write. But I'm up to the challenge. This will be awesome! Because since it's a recap episode of Transformers Prime up until that point, then this will be like a recap of the Talida Prime series to date. HOW COOL IS THAT?! But first, I have to write and update two stories. **_**Strange Beginnings**_** and **_**The Thunderbird and the Doctor**_**. But I will always think of cool ideas.**

**Also…how do you guys think Talida should be with General Bryce and vice versa? Based on the promo, we already know that they don't like each other. But…just how deep does the hatred run? Besides…personally, I've always thought someone needs to tell General Bryce off. But that's just me. I've never liked him.**

**BYE!**


	6. Grill

**Me: Man! I need a vacation! NOT! I could never walk away from you guys!**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Future Stepdaughter? What in the Allspark does that me- oh yeah June. ***__**Sigh**__*** I, Really, Need, a file cabinet.**_

**I know how you feel.**

**NASSkyquake: **_**Poor Bumblebee… To bad you can't just make some serum for Talida that prevents pregnancy till the age of 25.  
**__**Teridax Prime: Seems impossible.  
**__**Dreadwing: Tell them why.  
**__**Teridax Prime: ***__**holds up a vile with black fluid, and smirks.**__*** Because I've already created it.**_

**Optimus: *****goes to grab it*******

**Me: She's not gonna get pregnant!  
**

**Optimus: Safety precaution!  
**

**Me: Optimus, release!**

**Optimus: *****sulks and walks away*******

**Me: A Prime that sulks? That's new!**

**Awesomo3000: **_**This episode was freaking awesome! But the way you write it makes it even awesomer! :D Hmm… I think Talida should really hate Bryce. Like really, REALLY hate him, life if he says even ONE bad thing about her dad, she struggles to resist the urge to not punch him.**_

**I like the way you think.**

**devildog452: **_**Hey I was thinking. Were you thinking about adding Talida and Malita and Cayden to the transformers series and the three transformer movies? Because if you are that would be mega awesomness!  
**_

**I'll think about it. But nothing definite.**

**Jacob Detiz: **_**Sorry I have a habbit for giving ideas to people when they come to mind.**_

**I tend to do that as well. But I always restrain myself so I don't annoy them.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**I loved this chapter! And as for my stupid guess, ***__**shrugs**__*** I'm gonna have to read Love and Forever again. Please!  
**_

**I think someone's already said the answer.**

**Abyss Prime: **_**I think Talida should have Fowler hold her back from knocking his little bitch-ass out. But that's just me. XD  
**_

**Well, they despise each other!  
**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**This should be interesting**_

**Yes it will.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**AWESOME! Good luck on Grill!**_

**Thanks! I'll need it! Have you ever tried rewriting a flashback episode?!  
**

**haloangel21: **_**I kind of expected this chapter to be a bit more…exciting. It's nice, but it kind of distracted me because of how much you used the word 'However'. I can offer you some help on the next chapter if you like.**_

**That's why you should never write a story when you're practically falling asleep on your laptop. :P**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**I hate MECH with a passion! Though it the next episode is funny at the end with Optimus. Please update!  
**_

**Who doesn't hate MECH?!**

**Bee4ever: **_**You know, I can't remember her name, but would Malita's mother be the woman that wanted Optimus to father and June Darby to carry Talida for her? Btw, awesome story!**_

**If you're looking for Rosalie, YOU'RE CORRECT! But she never wanted June to carry Talida because she was already pregnant with Jack and there's a two-month difference between the two. She just wanted the eggs.**

**MAN! Choosing a song for this chapter was hard to do!**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub! (Have you heard the news?!)**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Photograph **_**rightfully belongs to Nickelback and their respective record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Look at this photograph.  
__Everytime I do it makes me laugh.  
__How did our eyes get so red?  
__And what the hell is on Joey's head?_

_And this is where I grew up.  
__I think the present owner fixed it up.  
__I never knew we'd ever went without.  
__The second floor is hard for sneaking out._

_And this is where I went to school.  
__Most of the time had better things to do.  
__Criminal record says I broke in twice.  
__I must have done it half a dozen times._

_I wonder if it's too late.  
__Should I go back and try to graduate.  
__Like's better now than it was back then.  
__If I was them, I wouldn't let me in._

_Oh, oh, oh…  
__Oh God, I…_

_Every memory of looking out the back door!  
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor!  
It's hard to say it! Time to say it!  
Goodbye… Goodbye…_

_Every memory of walking out the front door!  
I found the photo of the friend I was looking for!  
__It's hard to say it! Time to say it!  
__Goodbye… Goodbye…_"

"Special Agent Fowler. …Miss Prime," General Bryce grumbled the last greeting as Fowler and Talida walked into his office.

"General Bryce," Talida spat as she took in the two chairs laid out for Fowler and herself.

"Please. Come in," General Bryce requested as he gestured to the two seats.

"What's Private Daley doing here with that camera?" Fowler demanded as he closed the door.

"He will be making a record of today's session," General Bryce clarified.

"Well, let's chalk it up with all the stupid ideas you've ever had," Talida mumbled.

Fowler glanced over at Talida, who was standing there looking uncomfortable. He knew one of the reasons. She and General Bryce never saw eye-to-eye. General Bryce was very disapproving and never fully trusted the Autobot team. He was outraged when he found out that Optimus decided to have a daughter. That was one of the reasons Fowler was assigned to them in the first place. Fowler originally held the same ideas General Bryce had about having Talida. However, when the younger Prime was born, he fell in love with her immediately…like a daughter, of course. She became a friend to his daughters. Considering how they were struggling to make friends when they were younger, Talida had become just what Fowler, his now ex-wife and his daughters needed.

Another reason Talida was starting to get uncomfortable was Private Daley. Private Daley was getting eager at the thought of having a video camera and having a _very _attractive girl – who is a teenager – in the same room as him. Fowler just happened to notice Private Daley zooming the camera into her chest.

"Soldier, too close," Fowler said as he pushed the camera away from Talida, "Remember. Her eyes are on her face. Not on her chest."

"Thanks," Talida thanked as she and Fowler sat down.

"Sorry we didn't dress for the occasion," Fowler joked.

"Formality won't be anymore necessary than usual, Bill, Miss Prime," was all General Bryce said, "But I do need to inform you that our higher-ups are on the warpath."

"You have questions about recent events and you want answers," Talida surmised.

Talida may hold no respect for the general sitting before her. But one thing she will at least do is correct all of the wrong facts that General Bryce has obtained. However, she felt as though that they will be there until the day Fowler and General Bryce died to clarify all of them. Talida…well…

She had centuries.

"Perhaps we should begin with the demise of Optimus Prime," General Bryce suggested.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_Remember the old arcade?  
__Blew every dollar that we ever made.  
__The cops hated us hangin' out.  
__They say somebody went and burned it down._

_We used to listen to the radio.  
__And sing along with every song we know.  
__We said someday we'd find out how it feels,  
__To sing to more than just the steering wheel._

_Kim's the first girl I kissed.  
__I was so nervous that I nearly missed.  
__She's had a couple of kids since then.  
__I haven't seen her since god knows when._

_Oh, oh, oh…  
__Oh God, I…_

_Every memory of looking out the back door!  
__I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor!  
__It's hard to say it, time to say it!  
__Goodbye… Goodbye…_

_Every memory of walking out the front door!  
__I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for!  
__It's hard to say it! Time to say it!  
__Goodbye… Goodbye…_"

"You really don't know anything, do you?" Talida asked dryly, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I thought we straightened all of this out!" Fowler protested, "Prime is alive and well. His spark mate and daughter are able to vouch for that! I'd include his son. But…you know, a few months old. He wouldn't understand what's happening."

"That's difficult for our superiors to accept without the benefit of seeing Optimus and the alleged imposter," General Bryce clarified.

"Side by side? Well, in case you forgot, it wasn't a good idea at the time," Talida defended herself and Fowler.

"The sky-jockies were under direct orders to destroy any and all Autobots on sight," Fowler reminded him.

"We were in a heightened state of security," General Bryce took his turn to defend his own actions.

"You've gotta consider the positives," Talida said.

"We now possess greater Intel regarding MECH. Particularly their leader, Silas," Fowler announced as he opened a file and tossed it onto his desk.

"The stage name of one Colonel Leland Bishop. Ex-Special Tactics," Talida went on.

"The architect of Project Damocles," General Bryce mused.

"Satellites in orbit firing laser beams at any target on Earth," Fowler clarified the project when he noticed the flicker of confusion Talida had written across her face.

"Long since mothballed and the reason behind Silas' discharge from your military," Talida added, "I've seen firsthand Silas' wild ideas and how he practices them without abandon since going rogue. I was one of the beings he tried to dissect. I'm one of only ten techno-organics to ever exist and only three are alive today."

"And still no sign of Silas' remains," General Bryce recalled something Fowler mentioned in his report.

"Of greater concern, MECH agents like Silas might also be Special Tactics," Fowler continued, recalling his first encounter with MECH.

"As in currently enlisted?" General Bryce questioned.

"Why else would they hide their faces?" Talida shrugged.

"I would urge a thorough investigation," Fowler began.

"And leave greater threats to hands far more capable then your own," Talida finished.

"Are you questioning the capabilities of the United States Military, Miss Prime?" General Bryce asked tiredly.

"Of the United States Military overall, no. Of your capabilities of running this military, it's up there with my doubts of a peaceful end to the war," Talida answered honestly, making her despise for the general clear.

"Because you've been able to operate at deeply classified levels, Agent Fowler, perhaps you can provide some background," General Bryce suggested.

"Our transforming visitors are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron. They were fighting a war," Fowler began explaining.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 1)_

"_**Foremost, over control of their world's supply of Energon, the lifeblood of all Autobots and Decepticons alike," Talida was explaining to her three friends.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**Do you recall a period late in the war when both sides started shipping our Energon spoils off world?" Optimus asked.**_

"_**Of course. It's the reason that Energon deposits exist on planets like this one," Ratchet pointed out.**_

"_**It is also the reason battles came to wage on planets such as this one," Optimus piped in.**_

"These battles over Energon and its dark counterpart – otherwise known as Dark Energon – continue to this day," Talida finished Fowler's story.

"And you know this for certain?" General Bryce asked.

"I've seen more than enough to make me a believer," Fowler remarked.

"But Agent Fowler here prefers to rely on field reports from my family and myself," Talida went on.

"Which I, in turn, share with you," Fowler finished.

"Skip ahead will you to the history of your involvement, Agent Fowler," General Bryce requested.

"We're going to be here a while," Talida warned, "Fowler's been a part of the Autobot cause since a year before my birth."

"Which is why I'm going to give him the abbreviated version, Talida," Fowler said, "As you know, I wasn't overjoyed with what I assumed was going to be a bot-sitting assignment, which would later turn into a babysitting assignment when Optimus decided to help Dr. Rosalie Coleman, now deceased, have a child, which resulted in the birth of Talida."

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**PRIME!" Fowler called as he walked into the room.**_

"_**Yo!" Talida called back with a smirk.**_

_**"Prime SENIOR! Not Prime JUNIOR!" Fowler corrected in frustration, "Wait! Don't tell me! He's out pancaking a mini-mall!"**_

"_**Hey! That's my father you're talking about there, Fowler! A little respect would be nice!" Talida interrupted with her eyes glaring daggers at their liaison.**_

"Back then, there were very few things that Fowler and I could agree on. But one thing we could ultimately agree on is that the occupation hazards have turned out to be surprisingly severe," Talida chuckled slightly at the evidence to support it, "WAY higher than any other ordinary job that exists within your government and beyond."

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**Do you have the prod?" Starscream asked Malita.**_

"And by now, the Autobots have saved my bacon more times then I can count," Fowler remarked.

"Of course, Fowler has returned the favor for us a time or two," Talida piped in.

"Sometimes I either exercise my authority or let Talida do her own thing and cover her tracks," Fowler remarked.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Masters and Students)_

"_**Anytime, fella! Ground floor's coming up fast!" Fowler remarked to Bumblebee as Bumblebee caused Skyquake to hurtle onto a crash dive.**_

_**Luckily, in record time, Bumblebee jumped onto Fowler's plane and Fowler flew himself and Bumblebee away from the ground and Skyquake flew to his ultimate demise.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Convoy)_

"_**Fowler, take the wheel," Talida requested as she undid her seatbelt, "I'm going after him."**_

"_**Be careful," Optimus warned her.**_

_**"Always am," Talida nodded as she opened the door and Fowler slid across to take the wheel.**_

_**Carefully, Talida scaled the side of the truck cabin and tapped the guy on the shoulder that was trying to separate Optimus' trailer from him. Immediately, he turned around and pointed his handgun at her. But that didn't faze Talida.**_

"_**Get back in the truck, little girl. This is none of your concern," he proclaimed.**_

"_**Let me give you some advice, dude," Talida smirked at him as she used her telekinetic powers to hold him out over the road by his chest.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Deus Ex Machina)_

"_**The girl comes with me," Fowler decreed as he rescued Miko from holding in the museum in Greece.**_

"But sometimes, Fowler had to rely on some quick thinking," Talida said, "_Very_ quick thinking, shall I say?"

_Talida Prime: Fading Light (Departure)_

"_**We were just…calibrating the sub-systems and, we, uh, had a surge. But it's fine now. How are you?" Fowler asked.**_

_**Then he remembered what he asked. Everyone's eyes widened in horror. Everyone was praying that Breakdown wouldn't figure out that something was up and come down to Space Bridge Control. If he did…well, back to square one. And Jack, Arcee and Talida could wind up stranded on Cybertron with no way back.**_

"And I made a few mistakes," Fowler admitted.

"A few?" Talida repeated with a slight smirk.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Masters and Students)_

"_**Ugh!" Fowler grunted as Skyquake scanned his jet into his databanks.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Crisscross)_

"_**Ah! Not again!" Fowler cried as he slapped his thigh with his fist as Airachnid scanned his helicopter into her databanks.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Storms (Loose Cannons)_

"_**Ah! Not this again!" Fowler moaned as Dreadwing scanned in his new vehicle mode in the form of Fowler's jet.**_

_**This now left him three times unlucky.**_

"If you would, Agent Fowler, Miss Prime, provide a roll call," General Bryce requested.

"So you'll know who's who in the events of another bot snaps?" Fowler guessed dryly.

"Something like that," General Bryce shrugged.

"You're a moronic jackass. You know that, right? A moronic jackass who has no true knowledge of everything we've ever done for you," Talida growled.

"Talida," Fowler gave Talida a warning glance.

"You know it's true!" Talida defended herself, causing Fowler to go quiet.

She was right. General Bryce is a moronic jackass who has no true knowledge of events involving the Autobots. He only reads the reports and was quick in making his own judgments. Most of the time, they are good qualities in a general of the United States Army. The only times where they aren't good qualities is when said general is proven wrong.

"The roll call, if you please," General Bryce stressed, pretending that Talida didn't just offend him.

"Well, there's…," Fowler began.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 1)_

"_**That's Bulkhead," Talida smiled at Miko after the Japanese girl asked who the former Wrecker was.**_

"_**Are you a car? I bet you're a truck! A monster truck! Do you like heavy metal? How much do you weigh? Ever use a wrecking ball for a punching bag?" Miko began asking at 100 miles an hour, making Bulkhead a little nervous.**_

"_**Sorry, Bulk. I should've warned you about the questions they'd be asking," Talida apologized.**_

"_**It's all cool, sprout," Bulkhead smiled as he ruffled her head.**_

_**"Are you ever gonna stop calling me that?" Talida laughed as she fixed her hair.**_

_**"Not even when you're old and grey and we're rusting away," Bulkhead smirked at their private joke.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Deus Ex Machina)_

"_**Look, Miko. Before I became a warrior, I was a laborer – construction. I can build stuff. I can break stuff. And that's it!" Bulkhead recalled his past, hoping Miko would grasp his point.**_

"Of course, Bulkhead and Fowler don't really see eye to eye," Talida said, "Kinda like Fowler and myself. But while our relationship has improved, the relationship between Fowler and Bulkhead…well, let's just say it's a work-in-progress."

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**Don't use that phone!" Talida started as Bulkhead poked at the phone.**_

"_**It's out of order," Bulkhead finished for the younger Prime.**_

"He may not be the most agile bot," Fowler began somewhat warily, hoping that Talida wouldn't kill him for talking about her family and understand it's for the sake of making a strong case.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 5)_

_**Electricity cackled between their feet and the portal until they landed safely and were stable. Bulkhead wasn't as graceful as the others. He stumbled with his footing and would've drifted off into space if it weren't for the gravitational stabilizers all Transformers had on their feet.**_

_**"Don't look down. Or up. Or left," Bulkhead instructed himself quietly.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Scrapheap)_

_**Miko was cut off by Bulkhead shooting at the walls and ceiling as he heard even more metallic clanging. When he shot at the right spot on the ceiling, cables fell down on him. Which caused him to scream like a little girl…AGAIN! Miko watched Bulkhead as he continued his girlish screams and waving his arms around like a little girl trapped in a spider web with a facial expression that clearly red, 'Dude. What? The hell?'**_

"And Bulkhead is the first to admit that he's no rocket scientist," Talida muttered.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (TMI)_

"_**Come on, doc! There's nothing up there to scan!" Bulkhead objected as he removed the cables connected to his head.**_

"_**Switch it back! I wanna see the Hoedown Showdown!" Bulkhead whined.**_

"But his brute strength is invaluable," Fowler praised with a smile.

"Fortunately for us, the science angle is covered in the capable hands of Ratchet," Talida continued the roll call.

"The Doc can be a little…tightly wound," Fowler cringed.

"Try living with him," Talida retorted.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Masters and Students)_

"_**Without my supervision? You want them to be right, don't you?" Ratchet asked his fellow Autobots, causing them to look at each other and shrug.**_

"_**Control freak!" Miko remarked to Jack and Talida.**_

"_**I tried to warn you," Talida sing-songed to her friends.**_

"But he brings his a-game when the situation calls for it," Fowler admitted, recalling the stories he heard from Talida about his time using the synthetic Energon.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Stronger, Faster)_

"_**It's alright. I'm an emergency vehicle," Ratchet reassured the fallen Decepticon drone as he transformed his servos into blades.**_

"Then there's my stepmother, Arcee," Talida smiled.

"The motorcycle?" General Bryce guessed.

"And the Autobot outside of her father and romantic partner Talida's the closest to. According to Prime, they make one of the greatest teams in Cybertronian history," Fowler boasted.

"Don't be fooled by the smaller footprint. She leaves a mark," Talida remarked, "And she's not afraid to go from sweet, loving mother, to a kick-ass warrior!"

_Talida Prime: Fading Light (Regain)_

_**Arcee couldn't last ten seconds abroad the ship without encountering drones. She instantly found herself dodging shots fired from their lethal blasters. Deciding to get even, she transformed into her bipedal mode and jumped into the air, shooting the Decepticon standing before her to the ground in the process. After taking care of the first drone, she knocked the second drone to the ground before flipping across the hallway and taking down the third drone she saw. However, this time, she didn't jump off of him and attack the other drones that were there. Instead, she remained on his chassis and glared at him with menacing eyes.**_

"_**Where's Optimus?" Arcee demanded, only to unfold her arm blade and hold the arm high in the air when she didn't earn an answer, "ANSWER ME!"**_

"Arcee and Talida have also looked out for each other more times than I can count," Fowler remarked.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Partners)_

_**Talida fired that one last shot. Starscream stumbled backwards as the bullet grazed his arm. His claws were sharply removed from Arcee's side, causing her to cry out in pure pain. Starscream growled in anger as Talida slumped against Arcee and the gun fell out of her hands.**_

"_**Don't be such a hypocrite. You want to avenge Shanahan as much as we do. Don't think I didn't miss the look of disappointment when your shots missed Airachnid," Talida sniped as she came to Arcee's defense.**_

"Bumblebee's the team's scout…and the love of my life," Talida moved on from Arcee to Bumblebee.

"But the warrior-in-training seems to be pretty accomplished if you ask me," Fowler remarked, earning a smile from Talida as she began thinking about her fiancé and his accomplishments.

"Arcee is a bot of few words. But Bumblebee doesn't use any that Fowler and any other ordinary human being can understand," Talida said.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 1)_

"_**It wants us to get in," Jack said, referring to Bumblebee who was parked on the curb in his vehicle form waiting patiently for Raf – his long lost son – to get in.**_

"_**Actually, he only wants Raf to get in," Talida corrected.**_

"_**How do you know that?" Jack demanded.**_

"_**He said so," Raf shrugged casually.**_

"Turns out, it's for good reason. During the war for Cybertron, the poor kid got his voice box torn out by Megatron," Fowler announced.

"So the Autobots aren't quite the indestructible war machines you hoped," General Bryce sneered.

"That's my family you're talking about. So I'd watch it," Talida warned, "Besides, you're misunderstanding the whole point. They can take a serious punch. Trust me when I say that I've lost count concerning how many."

"What about you, Miss Prime?" General Bryce asked.

"Very much like Arcee and Bumblebee, Talida's been part of the war since birth. Despite Optimus' best efforts to keep her out of the war, she was brought up in it. She's always been active in the war. But ever since she was a young child, she would take part in Energon scouting. Despitte all this, the only time she ever truly got involved in the war was when Starscream and Megatron's daughter, Malita, kidnapped her. Whenever something happens to Optimus – and I use Prime's amnesia as an example – Talida is the one who steps up and assumes command of Team Prime. She is also an incarnate of the techno-organic princess of Cybertron, Rayna, who was also Bulkhead's soul mate," Fowler explained.

"When can we meet this…princess?" General Bryce asked.

"I'm as close as you're ever gonna get to meeting her. Rayna died with Cybertron the day the exodus took place," Talida clarified.

"As for your earlier comment, Talida and the rest of the Autobots do have their…vulnerabilities," Fowler retorted.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Scrapheap)_

"_**Did you just scream like a little girl?" Miko asked with a sly smirk as the lights came back.**_

"_**No…maybe…," Bulkhead trailed off.**_

"_**This may not be the ending that we planned. But if this was indeed the end… If we are to become one with the AllSpark…"**_

_**Optimus was cut off by the familiar feeling of Arcee resting her small hand on his large, engulfing hand. He was used to the feeling he felt whenever Arcee did that to him. He had been feeling it since they finally embarked on the road they were travelling down together with their relationship. And it was a feeling he never wanted to lose. So he turned his hand around and held hers in return. Normally, he felt her life pulsating vibrantly with his own. But this time, her life was weaker. Like it was about to go out at any second.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 1)_

"_**No! Cliffjumper's life signal just went offline," Ratchet announced sadly.**_

"_**Oh my God. No," Talida mumbled sadly as she and Arcee clung to each other in desperation.**_

"_**If Cliff's gone, standing around here sulking won't bring him back," Arcee muttered darkly before she and Talida took off into the Nevada Desert.**_

"Everyone learned that the hard way when Cliffjumper was killed by Starscream," Talida recalled sadly, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

"And for the record, Cliffjumper was the last Autobot casualty?" General Bryce guessed.

"I told you! The lifeless Autobot you have in storage isn't Prime! It's a knockoff!" Fowler snapped.

"We only have the words of you and Miss Prime to go on without any trace of Silas or of the technology MECH utilized to control said knockoff," General Bryce defended himself.

"You don't get it, do you? A clean scrub is MECH's MO!" Talida practically screeched.

"Agent Fowler, your last report indicated that Optimus Prime had joined the Decepticons," General Bryce changed topics, causing Fowler's eyes to widen and Talida to glare at the government agent sitting next to him.

"Not willingly!" Fowler retorted as he stood up, "Prime had amnesia! I know I was clear on that!"

"But you can see where outside observers may connect the dots to the recent attack on our base. Bill, the five stars have grown nervous that we are placing our trust in beings who could so easily inflict harm if they chose to turn on us," General Bryce reasoned.

"That will never happen! Maybe you need a good smack to make you see reason," Talida suggested as she stood up, "And I will be more than happy to oblige."

"Talida, there will be no striking anyone. The only reason you're here is because we need an actual member of Team Prime to state our case!" Fowler warned her.

Ignoring Talida's threat, General Bryce turned to Fowler and announced gravely, "Which is why I have been asked to determine whether I should bring you to a tribunal."

"Tribunal?!" Talida and Fowler echoed in disbelief.

"They could shut down our operations!" Talida protested.

"Put me in jail!" Fowler added.

"General Bryce, my father is no loose cannon! He's anything but! OK! I'll admit! The Autobots are a little bit big! But they watch their steps!" Talida promised.

"Heck! Even the kids!"

"Kids?!" General Bryce repeated in surprise.

"Uh-oh," Talida grumbled as she and Fowler realized what he had just said.

"That's what we call our in-house support team," Fowler lied.

"I wasn't aware you were utilizing any resources other than yourself," General Bryce said.

"They're…not enlisted," Talida chose her words carefully.

"You've involved civilians in a classified operation?!" General Bryce exclaimed.

"Highly accomplished civilians who contribute specialized expertise in computer science," Fowler began.

"Medicine," Talida went on.

"Um…communications," Fowler finished uncertainly.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Deus Ex Machina)_

"_**I love breaking stuff!" Miko cheered after Bulkhead told her of how he used to work in construction.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Speed Metal)_

"_**VROOM! VROOM! VROOM!" Miko cried, referring to Jack's success in the race against Vince.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Sick Mind)_

"_**Twisted," Miko smirked, referring to Talida's tactics inside Megatron's mind.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Shadowzone)_

"_**Bring the heart," Miko encouraged Bulkhead as he prepared for another battle.**_

"_**Nerd alert!" Miko tormented.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Operation: Breakdown)_

_**"Duh!" Miko scoffed.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Shadowzone)_

"_**ZOMBIE!" Miko cried as she, Jack and Raf – with the bleeding Talida – raced to warn the other Autobots of the approaching Skyquake.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Rock Bottom)_

"_**Smack down in outer space. That was cool," Miko laughed weakly.**_

"So…they know how to take orders," General Bryce surmised.

"You…could say that," Talida agreed with a nervous laugh.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 1)_

"_**Welcome to KO Drive-In where every patty's a knockout. May I take your order?" Jack asked in a bored fashion.**_

"But what they lack in military discipline, they more than make up for with 'outside the box' problem solving," Fowler boasted.

"With some help from myself, of course…depending on the situation," Talida added.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Shadowzone)_

"_**Nothing," Jack sighed in frustration as he hung up his phone.**_

_**"Imagine that. The fourth dimension has lousy phone reception," Miko remarked sarcastically.**_

"_**Wait, guys. Guys, the phone rang. We're getting a signal," Jack pointed out.**_

"_**Maybe the Autobots can't see or hear us cause we're moving at hyper speed or something," Raf suggested.**_

"Their courage is to be admired," Fowler complimented.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 5)_

_**Knowing they had to fight, Miko staggered over to where axe was resting on hooks against the wall. With a battle cry, she ran forward and took a swing at Soundwave's arm. But he dodged the attack and threw her into the wall again. She landed next to Talida. Jack looked at the two worriedly before he and Raf noticed that Soundwave now had the axe Miko wielded.**_

"_**You handed it an axe?" Jack asked Miko in disbelief.**_

"_**Not good," Raf remarked.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Scrapheap)_

_**Bumblebee began freaking out as the Scraplet moved around on his body. He fell to the ground and grabbed the Scraplet with his hand. However, the Scraplet took the opportunity to begin eating his arm. Bumblebee was scared. The Scraplet was close to eating him alive! So Talida used her new telekinesis powers to pull the Scraplet away from Bumblebee. Immediately, the Scraplet went for Bumblebee again. But Raf started beating it to scrap metal with a crowbar.**_

"_**Easy there, killer," Jack joked as he stopped Raf's action.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**Hold him stiff!" Miko requested as she tried – and failed – to beat the living daylights out of the Decepticon.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Predatory)_

"_**3…2…1!" Jack counted.**_

_**Just as Airachnid appeared on top of the ship, they threw their fire at the Energon and ran away. It would only be a matter of time before their plan fell into place. So they needed to get as far away as they possibly could before it all ignited.**_

"_**JACK! TALIDA!" Airachnid cried when she saw the burning Energon.**_

**KA-BOOM!**

_**The ship exploded. Even though Jack and Talida ran far, the force still knocked them back. They landed on top of the hill. Jack immediately climbed on top of Talida to shield her. They clung to each other for dear life. They looked and saw Airachnid's ship go up in flames before their eyes.**_

"Our associates have proven time and time again that they're willing to put their lives on the line for their country and their planet," Talida smiled proudly.

"So your civilians have made enemy contact," General Bryce sighed, not liking this more and more.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (One Shall Rise: Part 2)_

"_**And you," Megatron began, talking to Jack this time, "I never forget a face. Even that of a human."**_

"_**You'll never cross anyone! Mine is the face you'll never forget! NEVER!" Miko screamed.**_

"They've…pretty much seen it all," Fowler sighed.

"That's an understatement," Talida scoffed.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**Miko, look away!" Bulkhead instructed.**_

_**"But!" Miko began to object.**_

"_**Turn your head away!" Bulkhead repeated.**_

_**But Miko didn't look away as Bulkhead wanted her to. Instead, she watched as Bulkhead used his bare hands to rip out the Decepticon's wiring and spark chamber. Miko watched in pure admiration.**_

"Rest assured, the safety of these humans – of all humans – remains their top priority of the Autobots," Fowler stated, "Optimus holds that in high esteem. Something that reminds him of this is the fact that his eldest child is part human and he has recently gained a son. All he has to do is think about what would happen if someone lost their child. And Arcee…well, you and I both know what happens if you cross a mother."

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 2)_

"_**They have no protective shell and Talida doesn't have the capabilities to defend herself!" Ratchet went on with his protest.**_

"_**HEY!" Talida exclaimed in offence.**_

"_**If they go underfoot, they will go…pssh. Squish," Ratchet finished.**_

_**"Simply, Ratchet, we must watch where we step. Like we've been doing since Talida was born," Optimus told him.**_

"And our friends wouldn't have it any other way," Talida promised.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 2)_

"_**I'm living a dream here in Botswana! And I'm not gonna allow you or anyone else to shatter it!" Miko screeched.**_

"They've forged meaningful bonds with the Autobots," Fowler added.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Metal Attraction)_

"_**Where's Arcee?" Bulkhead asked worriedly, before noticing that Talida was having a hard time stifling her laughter, "What? What is it?"**_

"_**Why don't you just marry her?" Miko groaned, earning a slap from Talida, "What was that for?!"**_

"_**You know the rules concerning soul mates!" Talida screeched before whispering in Miko's ear, "And the plans."**_

"_**I was joking!" Miko defended.**_

"_**Sorry about the slap," Talida apologized.**_

"_**It's cool," Miko suggested as they hugged.**_

"_**I'm right behind you," Arcee said.**_

"_**Where?" Bulkhead demanded as he finally stood up.**_

_**"Let's just say she's got your back," Talida snickered.**_

_**Bulkhead grunted in confusion and turned around with his back towards them. That was when Talida finally started rolling on the rocks laughing her butt off. Arcee was stuck to Bulkhead's upper back. And she didn't look too happy about her current situation.**_

_Talida Prime: Fading Light (Grasp)_

"_**You answered that question for yourself, Jack. You thought of everything that Megatron and the Decepticons have done to your friends and family. You thought of how you wanted to make him feel the same way they had felt. You made a hard decision today, Jack," Optimus praised before repeating, "And I am proud of you."**_

"_**Thanks, dad," Jack thanked before he could stop himself.**_

"They offer valuable assistance when I'm otherwise…engaged in the field," Fowler said cautiously.

"When you're otherwise engaged in getting yourself killed or on an 'intensive training retreat', you mean?" Talida corrected wryly.

"Yeah. That," Fowler relented.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Deus Ex Machina)_

"**You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday.**_**"**_

_**"I hate talking to machines," Ratchet grumbled.**_

"But their involvement was never meant to be anything other than humanitarian," Fowler promised, "To help Talida provide the Autobots with a means of better understanding life on our planet."

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Metal Attraction)_

"_**A scout should be silent but deadly," Arcee decreed.**_

_**Bulkhead, Miko and Talida looked at each other and started laughing and snickering since they know the real meaning of 'silent but deadly' on Earth. Arcee, however, was confused.**_

"_**Probably could've picked a better choice of words," Talida giggled.**_

"_**What?" Arcee demanded.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Masters and Students)_

"_**Maybe it needs one of these doo-hickies," Arcee suggested as she held the exhaust pipe up, causing Talida to laugh.**_

"_**That's an exhaust pipe, Arcee. That doesn't go on till last," she laughed affectionately as she took the exhaust pipe from Arcee.**_

"_**You're a motorcycle, Arcee. Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?" Jack asked with a slight laugh.**_

"_**You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?" Arcee retorted.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Convoy)_

"_**You want me to not only bridge you into a confined space, but one travelling at 90 miles per hour? I can't even count the amount of ways that can go wrong! Mass displacement trauma! Twisted limbs! Metal burn!" Ratchet began listen before correcting himself as the humans looked at him as if they were saying, 'Uh…wanna rephrase that, dude?', "Well, maybe not the last one."**_

"Thankfully, you guys haven't begun to take full advantage of Cybertronian science," Talida sighed in relief, "And there's a reason for that!"

"I mean, I can pilot my V-Tog without ever having to wear a flight suit," Fowler boasted happily.

"What keeps your organs from exploding?" General Bryce demanded.

"Ratchet made some calibrations on the cabin pressure regulator," Talida answered, "You can't exactly blame a guy for wanting to be comfortable, General."

"We may be getting off track. Please address why we haven't been served Megatron's steel head on a silver platter and his daughter, Malita, hasn't been brought into federal custody," General Bryce requested.

"The leader of the Decepticons has nine lives; plain and simple. And Malita's pretty sneaky in her own right," was all Fowler said.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Sick Mind)_

"_**Well, we're staring right at him," Arcee retorted.**_

"_**Good news is: Megatron's not exactly staring back," Talida remarked.**_

"Believe me when I say that it wasn't for lack of trying," Talida said, "But the saddest thing is the moment we might have pulled it off, we needed them."

"Megatron and Malita actually helped us save humanity," Fowler said sadly.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (One Shall Rise: Part 2)_

"_**Optimus, our past alliances – Autobot, Decepticon – no longer matter. Not while Unicron lives," Megatron proclaimed.**_

"Elaborate," General Bryce instructed.

"We found ourselves facing a threat which – believe it or not – is even greater than MECH or the Decepticons combined," Talida began.

"Literally an enemy within. Unicron," Fowler finished, "I know it's going to sound crazy. But what if I told you our planet's core isn't made up of what science has led us to believe it is?"

General Bryce sighed before saying, "Agent Fowler, I'm sorry I'm forced to say that I'm forced to discontinue this debriefing until you have undergone a full psychological evaluation."

"Seriously?" Talida said in disbelief.

"As a representative of the United States government, I believe you may have lost your sanity," General Bryce proclaimed, causing Fowler to fall back in surprise, "Now, I understand why you must have lost your sanity. I mean, your marriage fell apart. You are reduced to having your daughters just on the weekends and every second week."

"General Bryce, I am quite sane," Fowler reassured his general.

"It defies all logic, Bill. Dark Energon? Then you go on record saying you believe in magical horses with horns on their heads!" General Bryce exclaimed.

That caused Talida to stifle her laughter. Now it was all falling into place. Very much like Miko did when she first heard of the Unicron threat months ago, General Bryce had thought that Fowler had confused Unicron the Destroyer with a mythical horse that is sparkly and has a horn on top of its head.

"What?" Fowler stuttered.

"Do you deny reporting that Megatron helped defeat a unicorn?" General Bryce asked.

THAT was when Fowler got it.

"That's what you thought?! Unicron! The ultimate evil! The Chaos Bringer!" Talida corrected.

"Permission to strike this from the record," Fowler sighed.

"Granted. But consider yourself on notice," General Bryce warned, "Now, Miss Prime, you were saying Megatron and Malita proved to be allies?"

"We were under pretty unique circumstances, General Bryce. Surprisingly, the 'Con most likely to be of service was Starscream…only by default, of course, because he may despise the Decepticons more than he despises the Autobots," Talida said.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Out of Her Head)_

"_**But the Autobots! Optimus! Right there! Waiting for you!" Starscream reminded Megatron as he approached him.**_

"_**My greatest mistake? I've made a few! But there is one I do not intend to make again!" Megatron proclaimed as he grabbed Starscream's face and began dragging him away.**_

"_**No! Master! NOOOOOOOOO!" Starscream screamed.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Partners)_

"_**Starscream's loyalty to Megatron has always been questionable. If he has truly split from the Decepticons, our prisoner's knowledge of their agendas could make him a valuable ally," Optimus decided.**_

_**"Megatron tried to extinguish my spark in cold blood! Then he and Malita have all but replaced me with that wretched Airachnid! She and Malita abandoned me! Left me for scrap! So why not rat them out?!" Starscream asked rhetorically.**_

"But even after Megatron had attempted to terminate him, Starscream still tried to win the master's favor," Fowler pointed out.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Rock Bottom)_

"_**Imagine Megatron's appreciation when I not only rescue him. But deliver an Autobot. I believe that would restore my statue quite nicely," Starscream sneered with a smirk as he ran his clawed finger up Bulkhead's jaw.**_

"However, Starscream's insecurities are what makes him less predictable than Megatron and in a lot of ways, even more dangerous if that's even possible," Talida stated, recalling the amount of times they had an encounter with him, "Likewise with Malita before some things happened that's caused her to rethink her role in the war."

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Darkness Rising: Part 3)_

"_**I make the decisions around here! I'm in charge!" Starscream screamed in frustration before turning to Malita, "Do you have the prod?"  
**_

"He really needs to figure out if it's really Megatron's job he wants or Megatron's approval," Fowler remarked.

"I must, in turn, ask why successful termination of Starscream has not been achieved," General Bryce wanted to know.

"Unfortunately, air superiority is what gives the 'Cons an upper hand over us. However, there are times where we are able to inflict a setback or two," Talida smirked at the last time.

"But the fact remains. Starscream has supplied valuable Intel since he went rogue," Fowler reminded the two of them.

_Talida Prime: Fading Light (Departure)_

"_**Starscream! I have obtained information regarding your leader. Bring medical kit," Ratchet read.**_

"Don't worry. We know better than to trust him implicitly. He's double-crossed both sides a couple of times," Talida recalled the time where Starscream stabbed Arcee when she was supposed to be guarding him.

_Talida Prime: Rising Storms (Operation Bumblebee: Part 2)_

_**Noticing that Bumblebee was beginning to come to, Starscream held his T-Cog up and aimed his cannon at him, threatening,**_

"_**One step from either of you and your precious biomech is scrap."**_

"Fortunately for us, despite his strategic brilliance, Starscream is his own worst enemy," Fowler announced.

_Talida Prime: Rising Storms (Operation Bumblebee: Part 2)_

_**As soon as Starscream heard the guns charge and aim at him, he knew he was in trouble. Bright lights could be seen from the other side of the forest and Starscream's screams could be heard all over as the MECH agent attacked their former consultant and left their mark.**_

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !"**_

_**Starscream groaned as he came to in the middle of the forest. At first, he was dazed. He didn't know how he winded up where he was. Then he remembered.**_

"_**What?!" Starscream gasped as he stood up and went to transform…only to find that he couldn't, "My T-Cog!"**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Storms (Crossfire)_

"_**You're grounded?!" Bulkhead cried in surprise and disbelief.**_

"And he's not the only one to have taken flight from Megatron," Talida growled dangerously, causing everyone to figure out who she was talking about.

"The spider," General Bryce guessed.

"Airachnid," Fowler corrected, placing a comforting hand on Talida's shoulder, "As sadistic as they come. And she and Arcee have quite a history. Killing her first partner, Tailgate, and then killing who would have been Talida's half-brother while Arcee was still carrying him, almost killing her as well."

"I have my own history with her. And I swear on my brother's grave that the next time Arcee and I encounter Airachnid, only one side's going to walk away," Talida vowed, "That is, unless Megatron gets to Airachnid first and finishes the job for us."

"So the infighting among the Decepticon ranks continues," General Bryce surmised.

"And then some," Fowler added, "Megatron can't seem to keep his inner circle holding hands."

"And you don't think we could take advantage of the chaos? Motivate a Decepticon to join our cause?" General Bryce asked.

"Malita's close to joining the cause. She's been debating this since her father was revived. But the signs didn't begin to show until an incident occurred while Arcee, a friend of mine and myself were left stranded on Cybertron," Talida recalled.

_Talida Prime: Fading Light (Jump)_

"_**WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Malita screamed at her father.**_

_**"They forced my hand, Malita. You know what happens to those who defy me," Megatron answered casually.**_

"_**Even to your own family?!" Malita asked in disbelief, "Does family even matter to you?"**_

"_**You know the answer," Megatron growled.**_

"_**Then prove it. I'm not seeing any evidence to support that. You killed your own parents. You've been trying to kill your brother for millennium. You could've just killed your niece, your unborn nephew and your sister-in-law! And I know that you would kill me if I ever betrayed you!" Malita snapped, "You say that Talida has the makings of a Decepticon. Well, does that mean I have the makings of an Autobot?"**_

_**It didn't take long for the Autobots to figure out what Malita was hinting at. Honestly, they never thought that the perfect daughter would betray her father. Everybody – Bot and 'Con – thought Malita would die before she changed sides. But with what they were witnessing, they were about to be proven wrong. Especially at the look of horror on Megatron's face.**_

"There is also one 'Con which Prime seems to respect," Fowler stated.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Operation: Breakdown)_

"_**While it seems unlikely that any Decepticon would choose the path of good, even THEY possess the potential for change," Optimus rumbled.**_

"But since Dreadwing had no trouble tearing up a town, I wouldn't hang my hopes on it," Talida remarked.

"So I must press the point. If Optimus believes that even a Decepticon holds the potential for change, why couldn't the reverse be true? No one truly knows what went on behind the Decepticon curtain while Optimus was off the grid. Not you. Not the Autobots. And Miss Prime isn't willing to give away anything," General Bryce reminded them.

"I'm 100% with Ratchet on this one," was all Fowler said.

_Talida Prime: Fading Light (Regain)_

"_**Being a Decepticon is a choice, Agent Fowler. One that I have a hard time believing Optimus would make at any point in his life," Ratchet said, "Orion Pax may not be currently an Autobot up here. But I must believe he will never stop being one in here."**_

"Against all odds, suffering amnesia, my father never stopped fighting for his family. So is my father capable of change?" Talida asked rhetorically.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Stronger, Faster)_

"_**You know your problem, Optimus? For such a big, strong bot, you're soft! You didn't pound Megatron into scrap when you had the chance! Many chances, in fact!" Ratchet tormented.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Rock Bottom)_

"_**I suppose helping those less fortunate would be out of the question," Megatron remarked.**_

"_**What do you think, Megatron?" Talida sneered angrily.**_

"_**If that is the case, you might as well use that drill to finish me. I guarantee you will never have a better opportunity then right now," Megatron growled, noticing Jack's hesitation, "Well? What are you waiting for? Think of the glory. Think of what I did to Talida. Seize the day! Optimus would."**_

"_**No. He wouldn't," Jack protested.**_

_Talida Prime: Rising Storms (Crossfire)_

"_**It would seem that I'm unarmed and are at your mercy," Megatron smirked, "So tell me, Optimus. Do you intend to take me alive or end this here and now?"**_

_**Optimus didn't say a word. Instead, he unfolded his blasters and charged them. One thing that he did was take Talida's work to spark. He passed this opportunity up too many times. He, once again, had the chance to end the war.**_

_**Who was he to pass it up?  
**_

"Prime has recently proven that he's willing to go further than ever to protect his family and humanity. Optimus Prime is a true patriot. He and his team risk their lives day in and day out asking absolutely nothing in return," Fowler boasted.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (One Shall Rise: Part 3)_

"_**Please! Listen to reason!" Ratchet begged Optimus and Talida through the commlink, "If you two don't survive, I fear neither will this planet!"**_

"_**Very well," Optimus relented as they stood ready to fight.**_

"The simple fact is my father doesn't have a bad circuit in his body," Talida chuckled slightly.

_Talida Prime: Rising Darkness (Convoy)_

"_**Fowler, cut it out!" Talida cried.**_

"_**Move it, Gramps!" Fowler shouted.**_

"_**Agent Fowler, is that really necessary?" Optimus asked dryly.**_

"_**Aw, don't tell me you two are some of them textbook drivers?" Fowler grumbled with a pout.**_

"_**Cheer up, buddy. We've got all day to spend with each other," Talida smirked at him.**_

_**"Does she seriously have to be here?" Fowler asked.**_

_**"Uh…yes SHE does because SHE is the only one licensed to drive a truck. And SHE can hear you and SHE has feelings too!" Talida answered.**_

"As liaison to the Autobots, I strongly caution that now is the worst time to call Prime's dedication into question!" Fowler decreed as he stood up.

"And as the representative of Team Prime, I strongly agree with our liaison's statement!" Talida piped in as she too stood up.

"We're on the verge of facing an even greater threat then we've faced before! The Decepticons are on the hunt for long buried relics from Cybertron!" Fowler revealed.

"Preliminary Intel suggests it could be objects with mythical properties or weapons of mass destruction," Talida reported.

"Mythical?" General Bryce repeated.

"Strike that too!" Fowler cried, "The point I'm trying to make here is…ugh! Hold on! Talida, call your father!"

"On it," Talida nodded as she pulled out her phone and hit number one on her speed dial, "Dad? We need an assist."

Casually, Fowler walked across to the window and undid the blinds as the ground began to shake. Private Daley, who was still holding the camera that was recording the session, almost dropped said camera in shock and fear. The face of Optimus Prime suddenly appeared in the window. His blue optics held questions and worry. Worry over the wellbeing of his daughter and liaison.

"Agent Fowler, Talida, have you two uncovered MECH agents?" Optimus immediately asked.

"No. They're OK. General Bryce here just needs to confirm the state of your health and welfare," Fowler clarified.

"I am fine, General Bryce. How are you?" Optimus inquired.

"I'm well, er, soldier," General Bryce answered as he stood from his chair and noticing the looks he was getting from the government agent and two Primes, "Bill, Miss Prime, I believe I have everything I need to make a persuasive case that Optimus Prime is alive and well and firmly on our side."

"Hallelujah!" Talida cried in relief.

"We appreciate your support, sir," Fowler said as he saluted the general, not earning a salute in return.

"Dismissed," General Bryce decreed.

"Not so fast, gentlemen," Talida intervened, "Is that camera still rolling?"

"Yes," Fowler nodded.

"Good. Because I want this to be on the record," Talida decreed.

"Yes, Miss Prime?" General Bryce sighed in frustration.

_SMACK!_

"WHOA!" Fowler cried.

Fowler is pretty sure his respect for the youngest female of Team Prime has skyrocketed. For she casually drew her fist back and landed a punch across his jaw that was so hard, he fell to the ground. Optimus looked at his daughter in disapproval. Private Daley was gazing at the teenage techno-organic in admiration. Fowler was having a hard time containing his laughter. Especially when General Bryce stumbled into his chair with his jaw in a weird shape. General Bryce spat out blood and some teeth before glaring at Talida.

"Nobody goes around trying to blacken my father's name and expects to get away with it," Talida snarled.

"THAT'S MY FUTURE STEPDAUGHTER!" Fowler crowed as he slung his arm around Talida's shoulder, "Come on. I'll buy you some ice cream as a reward."

With smiles on their faces, Fowler and Talida strolled out of the office. Immediately, Private Daley turned to General Bryce to record the damage Talida had done to him. General Bryce only gave Private Daley a glare that read, 'Turn that off!' Private Daley didn't need to act on his order. The camera died by itself.

And the rest, they say, is history.

"_I miss that town.  
__I miss the faces.  
__You can't erase.  
__You can't replace it._

_I miss it now.  
__I can't believe it.  
__So hard to stay.  
__Too hard to leave it…_

_If I could relieve those days,  
__I know the one thing that would never change…_

_Every memory of looking out the back door!  
__I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor!  
__It's hard to say it! Time to say it!  
__Goodbye… Goodbye…_

_Every memory of walking out the front door!  
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for!  
__It's hard to say it! Time to say it!  
__Goodbye… Goodbye…_

_Look at this photograph!  
__Everytime I do, it makes me laugh!  
__Everytime I do, it makes me…_"

* * *

**I can't believe I'm saying this. But I'm glad that this chapter's finally over. This was a hard chapter to write. It may not be my best work. But it's my first attempt at something like this.**

**YIPEE! ARMADA'S THE NEXT EPISODE!**

**In case you don't know why I'm excited, here's the promo…**

* * *

_Airachnid: The time has come for ultimate retribution._

_**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_Megatron: Busy day for assassins…_

_Show Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Talida stand at the edge of a cliff ready to fight_

_Show Bulkhead jumping in the air with a warrior's cry with his hammer unsheathed_

_Optimus: We are witnessing the launching of a mission to terminate Megatron._

_Talida: I hate these things._

_Airachnid: Arise, my armada! AND ATTACK!  
_

_Show Optimus and Bumblebee shooting at oncoming Insecticons_

_Show Airachnid shooting at Arcee and Talida_

_Arcee: ARGH!  
_

_Show the Nemesis exploding_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction…**_

_Talida: I'm not letting you get away again._

* * *

**Now you see?  
**

**BYE!**


	7. Armada

**Me: Holy fudgecakes! That took a while. Luckily, I had a sick day. So... Oh! I'****m going to Sydney for Christmas and New Year's! WHOO HOO!**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**CZSTeridaxPrime: (1) **_**I said it 'prevents'…**_

**Whoops.**

**(2) **_*****__**looks at the vial in my servo, then throws it at Talida, then walks away**__*** Inject it your Spark.**_

**Optimus: *****goes to do it*******

**Talida: I'll slice off your spike.**

**Optimus: I trust you.**

**Me: Knew that would happen.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**I don't see much Talida and Bumblebee nowadays.**_

**I've been trying to fit it in. Maybe I'll do an extra moment at the end.**

**haloangel21: **_**Oh, how I loved it when Fowler offered to buy Talida ice cream! That one made me laugh. ;) I'm very excited to read the next chapter!**_

**I was aiming to make everyone laugh at the end.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Love it!  
**_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Rosalie is her mother?! Wow, didn't expect that. Anyway, this was an awesome chapter! I cannot wait for the next chapter. Airachnid needs to be put in her place. For good! Update soon please. Oh and I've gotta say oyu've got a talent for drama. How'd you get so good at it?**_

**When I know, I'll tell you.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Woah, Talida! There's a gal with guts! Please update!  
**_

**She's the daughter of Optimus Prime. Of course she's got guts!  
**

**Awesomo3000: **_**I know this doesn't feature many of the Autobots or Cons, but this is one of my favourite episodes of Transformers: Prime! :D Can't wait for the next chapter!  
**_

**This one's up there in my favourites.**

**dx-1118: **_**Nice work with this chapter. I'm sure it was very hard to write and I congratulate you on doing such a good job. You're a good writer and I can't wait to see how this turns out. Darkness Rising and Fading Light were both such great stories and I know this one is gonna get even better as things heat up. Can't wait for the next chapter.  
**__**By the way, you may not know this, but after the episode 'Hurt', the human characters of Transformers Prime appear very little in the series until the finale. In fact, between 'Orion Pax' and 'Darkest Hour', I don't think June makes a single appearance. So I was wondering if maybe you could work in a few extra scenes or chapters involving them, maybe something romantic with Jack and Miko, or something cute with Talida and Raf or some heartwarming family thing with Jack, June and Talida.  
**__**So are Talida and Malita really secretly related? I'm sure you'll tell us at some point, just like you'll tell us exactly what the terrible things Megatron's been doing to Malita are. Speaking of Malita, the next episode would be the perfect opportunity for her to join the Autobots. All she would have to do is find Bulkhead and ask to go with him. With Megatron so distracted he wouldn't be able to stop her.  
**__**One last thing on the subject of you having a song at the start of each chapter, I know the perfect song for you to use when you write 'Darkest Hour'. The song is 'Skyfall' by ADELE, yes the one they used for the James Bond movie. It just seems to fit the finale perfectly.  
**__**Anyway, great work as always and please update soon!**_

**I do know that. I do watch the episodes on YouTube. How else can I write this series? They're already related! Megatron and Optimus are brothers! So…Talida and Malita are cousins! Thanks for the suggestion. But I'm making it a tradition that for each finale, I use a Linkin Park song and I've already got one in mind. I'm already planning some things for Malita and some extra chapters. So…don't worry. And I'm pretty sure I told you before that you have to limit your review length. If you have questions or a long review like that, create an account and PM me.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**I laughed SO HARD when Talida punched Bryce! GO TALIDA! Oh, and you did a great job with this episode! :D**_

**Thanks! I was so worried about this one!**

**Abyss Prime: **_**Love when Talida punched him! Lol!  
**_

**Sounds like that was a popular choice to make.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**I busted out laughing when Talida punched the General, anyways, nice chapter.**_

**Well…someone had to punch him.**

**tfprimelover: (from Crossfire): **_**Jesus, usually I love Talida in your chapters, but I really don't like her in THIS one. I understand she hates Airachnid and Starscream and wants revenge on them, but she didin't have to be such a b*tch to her own DAD about it!  
**_

**To Talida, Optimus wasn't seeing what she was trying to say to him. He didn't understand her pain. He had no idea how much she was hurting. To her, it felt like he didn't care.**

**Man. Finding a song for this chapter was hard!**

© _**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub. (Anyone hear about the announcement of this season being the last?)**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise. (We could be saying goodbye to one later in the story…)**

_**Not Alone**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and their respective record label. (What can I say? It was done for a good cause.)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_I break down. Fear is sinking in.  
__The cold comes, racing through my skin.  
__Searching for a way to get to you.  
__Through the storm, you…._

_Go… Giving up your home…  
__Go… Leaving all you've known…  
__You are not alone…_"

There were many times Bulkhead found himself in awkward situations. Most of those times occurred before he met Rayna and left his life as a Wrecker behind. In fact, it was during one of those awkward situations that he first met Rayna. However, this one took the cake.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by Energon parcels. But that wasn't the weird part. The weird part was that…

He was aboard the Nemesis.

"Oh… My head gasket…," Bulkhead moaned as he lifted himself up…and took note of his surroundings, "What the?! The 'Con's warship?!"

Still shocked by his surroundings, Bulkhead went to take another step back. But he stopped himself when he almost lost his footing. When he looked down, he saw clouds hiding the ground from site. He was up in the air. At least 3000 feet above any town in the entire world; let alone Jasper, Nevada. Had he continued to step backwards, that sore head gasket he was complaining about before was going to be the least of his worries. He'd be complaining of a sore…well, everything.

"Ratchet, don't ask how I got here. Long story. …Ratchet! Do you copy?!" Bulkhead asked into the commlink, earning static as his response, "Oh scrap."

Bulkhead realized that when it comes to his escape, he was on his own. Cautiously, he made his way out of the storage room and into the hallway. Slowly, his head whirled around, searching for any signs of Decepticon trouble. Getting caught by Decepticons roaming around the Nemesis was not on his bucket list.

"Stealthy… Stealthy…," Bulkhead chided to himself.

He continued his cautious steps until he heard another series of footsteps. Immediately, he realized that it was Decepticon drones patrolling the ship. Quickly, he moved to find a hiding place. He went to hide where he came from. However, he found himself face planting the door.

When the drones did come round, they walked by as though they didn't hear anything. Bulkhead had hidden behind a wall. And it was on easy task due to his…abnormally large size. He continued his sneaking around…until he bumped into someone. Thinking it was a drone, he immediately whirled round with his blasters at the ready. What he came face to face with was worse then a drone.

"Starscream?!" Bulkhead cried in surprise.

"Why is it when I return to my old stomping ground, I find an Autobot roaming the halls?!" Starscream asked in exasperation.

"Don't tell me you came crawling back to Megatron," Bulkhead growled.

"Hardly! Now out of my way!" Starscream snapped as he went to move out of the way.

"Scream, you've gotta show me the way off this boat," Bulkhead pleaded.

"Sorry. Too busy," Starscream said.

"Look. When you needed help," Bulkhead began in anger.

"As I recall, we bartered! Now…unless you have anything of value to offer me, step aside!" Starscream yelled.

"The exit! NOW!" Bulkhead roared.

"I may have given Arcee and Talida a free pass when we last met!" Starscream began as he took a swipe at Bulkhead, causing him to stumble backwards in shock, "But I won't hesitate to skewer you just like I did a certain Cliffjumper! And let me assure you! Your precious goddaughter – the incarnation of your precious Rayna – will be the next person on my list! I'll do to Talida what I planned to do to your precious Rayna before she died millennia ago! And trust me! When I'm done with her, she'll be wishing she was dead like her! And once again! YOU WOULD HAVE FAILED TO SAVE HER!"

Bulkhead was mad enough when Starscream brought up Cliffjumper's death. Before Starscream killed him, he and Cliffjumper were very close friends. Brothers, even. They enjoyed teaming up and pulling pranks on Ratchet. But, when he dared to threaten Talida – his goddaughter and all he has left of Rayna – he was pissed.

Starscream's eyes widened in horror as Bulkhead unfolded his hammer and charged at him, roaring with anger. He was hit in the chest and knocked backwards. He landed on his back a few feet from where he once stood. Bulkhead wasn't going to stop. Even if Starscream unfolded his cannons and snarled,

"Perish, Bulkhead!"

The blasters didn't phase Bulkhead. When another roar, he jumped on Starscream and continued to beat him. His reasons becoming clear with each hit.

"This is for Cliffjumper! For Bumblebee! For Rayna! For Talida! For everything!" Bulkhead snarled, one blow for each person.

Then came the final blow.

**_TRANSFORMERS PRIME_**

"_With arms up, stretched into the sky.  
__With eyes like, echoes in the night.  
__Hiding from the hell that you've been through.  
__Silent one, you…_

_Go… Giving up your home…  
__Go… Leaving all you've known…  
__You are not alone…_

_Go… Giving up your home…  
__Go… Leaving all you've known…  
__You are not alone…_"

It was only when Bulkhead knelt there panting that he realized what he had done. In horror, he glanced at his hammer and at Starscream's battered remains. He had lost it. He promised himself he would never do anything like this to anyone. Autobot or Decepticon. But when he brought up Rayna and his inability to save her, he lost it.

"You left me no choice," Bulkhead muttered as he finally stood.

Was it all worth it?

* * *

_**24 hours earlier…**_

"What I would not give to have wings again!" Starscream grumbled as he roamed the same stone arch where he almost successfully killed Arcee and Talida months before, "Ah… Just as I have left it. The Harbinger…"

Indeed, Starscream had discovered the half of the Harbinger he and Airachnid had found. Clarion had once occupied the ship guarding the Immobilizer with his life. Now…well, Starscream wasn't sure what had happened to his former comrade.

"Things are finally looking up," Starscream smirked.

However, when he got inside, he growled in frustration. He didn't find anything worth of value.

"REALLY?! NOT ONE SCRAP OF ENERGON?!" Starscream roared in frustration as he pounded something nearby.

Hearing some clanging, Starscream looked around to see a door open. Immediately, he recognized the work. It was a laboratory…

Filled with cloning technology.

"A laboratory?" Starscream said in confusion as he typed some commands into the computer, "And it's functional. Protoforms?"

* * *

Bulkhead was driving around an area on patrol. It was peaceful and quiet. Very much like Jasper, Nevada. However, he was surrounded by desert like he normally was that would result him in picking sand out of his articulators for a month. He was surrounded by lovely green pastures and trees.

_BEEP BEEP!  
_

Glancing at his scanners, he saw that he was picking up an Energon signal. Knowing what this meant, he immediately decided to check it out.

"Bulkhead to base. Picked up a strong reading. Gonna check it out," Bulkhead reported as he veered off the road.

* * *

An idea forming in his head, Starscream glanced at the formula on his computer.

"Let's see. Transference of binary bonding, sub molecular infusion… The formula seems straightforward enough," Starscream mused to himself, "Well, my little lumps of clay, you seem just ripe for molding. Let's give cloning a whirl, shall we?"

* * *

Bulkhead transformed when he reached the signal and looked around. At first, he saw nothing. Then he saw a giant crater in the middle of the clearing. Looking down, he guessed that there was Energon down there.

"No sign of activity," Bulkhead observed.

That was when he went to climb down the crater towards the Energon below. Something as massive as a find like this wasn't something they saw everyday.

Who was he to not take advantage of it?

* * *

Without wincing, Starscream stich a syringe in his arm and watched the glowing blue Energon fill the container. When it was full, he injected it into the cloning machine. His chemical makeup and his form filled the screen as electricity cackled all around him. Starscream laughed in evil glee, very much like the creator of Frankenstein.

"GIVE ME LIFE!" Starscream roared as he flipped the switch.

The protoforms inside began to tense and tremble as they took shape of their creator. Eventually, the electricity died down and they stepped out of their tubes. Six clones. All looking like their creator.

"Ah… Like-minded company. At last," Starscream smirked.

* * *

Bulkhead continued to scale down the crater towards the signal he picked up. When he was a few feet above it, he looked down…and saw the odd circumstances.

"Energon?! All boxed and ready for pickup?!" Bulkhead said in surprise.

When he looked up, he saw trouble. He saw the Decepticon warship.

"SCRAP!" he cursed.

Hurriedly, he continued to make his way down towards the Energon. There was on reason why he couldn't take some for himself. The Autobots were running low. However, Bulkhead slipped and lost his footing.

He went to grab a rock ledge. But that crumbled under his tight, strong grip. Screaming, Bulkhead fell the last few feet before landing amongst the boxes. Unconscious, he was powerless in his escape as the elevator came down on him. Just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared back up into the Nemesis…

Taking Bulkhead with it.

And thus the series of events were set in motion.

* * *

"Esteemed members of my armada, you now stand upon the very percipience of glory! To meet the destiny of which I so tenaciously worked toward!" Starscream began.

"Dynamic leadership of the Insecticons!" one of his clones finished, surprising Starscream.

"I am delighted to hear that we are on the same page," Starscream chuckled nervously.

"We are as one, commander," one clone said.

"We share your memories," another continued.

"Your very feelings," another clone piped in.

"Even your sensational quest for power," one clone finished.

Starscream cleared his throat, "I see."

Satisfied with his work, Starscream, with his clones, walked out of The Harbinger and through the stone arch. A plan was beginning to form in Starscream's head. And it was the perfect plan.

"Fortunately, The Harbinger's tracking systems have remained synced with the Decepticon warship. Of course, we shall require a means of reaching them," Starscream mused.

Startled when he heard the familiar sound, Starscream quickly turned around. When he did, he saw that his clones had transformed into their vehicle mode. Starscream was surprised. He doesn't even have a T-Cog anymore due to MECH. How are they able to possess the ability to transform?!

"You can transform?!" Starscream gasped in surprise before quickly catching himself, "Of course you can. How else can you fly to the ship? That was a test. Of which, you all passed. Now take flight and snuff Megatron's accursed spark!"

Without saying another word, the clones took to the skies. Their mission was given. They must obey their master and do his will.

Starscream just stood where he was in glee. Finally, he had another chance to destroy Megatron and take leadership of the Decepticon cause. He only hoped that something didn't go wrong.

Like Megatron outwitting him once again.

Or someone – an enemy he shared with both Megatron and the Autobots – beating him to the punch.

* * *

Bulkhead moaned as he pushed himself to his feet using the Energon parcels.

"My head gasket," Bulkhead moaned.

And that was when it all began.

* * *

"Spread out. Keep to the shadows," one clone advised as they hid behind a wall in the warship.

"Any one of us is a instant target aboard this warship!" one of the clones objected.

"But to be seen together would sacrifice the element of surprise," another clone stated.

"Whoever manages to find Megatron first, report your position!" another instructed.

Satisfied with their job delegations, they all split up to search for Lord Megatron. One of the clones continued down the hallway they had come down from before. Walking backwards, he glanced around for trouble. That one clone was right. Starscream was an instant target about the warship. Megatron wants him dead. And he would not hesitate to kill them if they were caught roaming the halls. Nervously, he backed away when he thought he heard trouble…

Only to walk into more.

"Starscream?!" Bulkhead cried in surprise.

* * *

"I cannot wait to save the vivid details of Megatron's demise!" Starscream laughed in glee.

Then he began whimpering. They weren't the usual whimpers of fear. Rather, they were whimpers of pain. But there was no one around to hit him. Confused at first, he eventually realized that it was almost like a spark bond. He could feel his clone's pain.

"What is happening?!" Starscream cried.

"_This is for Cliffjumper!_"

"ARGH!"

"_For Bumblebee!_"

"OOF!"

"_For Rayna!_"

"OH PRIMUS!"

"_For Talida!_"

"MAKE IT STOP!"

"_For everything…_"

Starscream let out one last scream of pain as he clutched his head, saying in disbelief, "My genetic code provides my clones with a T-Cog I no longer possess! And all I get is their agony?!"

* * *

Quickly, Bulkhead hid Starscream's body so everything wouldn't be discovered. If Megatron discovered that an Autobot was aboard his warship…well, there's no need to ponder what he already knew. When he walked out of the hole in which he hid the remains of Starscream's clone, he found what he had been looking for.

"A comm unit!" Bulkhead cheered as he ran towards it and began using it, "Bulkhead to base! Do you read?! Do you copy?! …Stupid 'Con tech! Is this thing even on?!"

Bulkhead's tampering had set off a series of alarms that alerted the drones. Immediately, the drones began running from their respective stations to battle. Bulkhead moaned as he placed his massive hands over his audio receptors. Luckily, he pressed a button that caused the alarms to cease and desist instantly. Slumping against the comm unit before him, he let out a long sigh of relief. However, he couldn't relax for long. Quickly, he took off running just as three Vehicons walked into the room. Looking around, they saw no one there…no one aside from another Starscream clone.

Unlike the original Starscream, he didn't lie. Instead, he began whimpering in fear and began running.

"HALT!" a drone called as they ran after him.

Bulkhead took off running, leaving the beeping computer…

* * *

"A Decepticon beacon," Airachnid observed, "At last…"

Without a second thought, she transformed and landed outside the same stripped mind where she attempted to have an Insecticon kill Megatron. It was also where she had another chance to end the spark of Arcee and Talida…until Starscream took that chance away from her.

"Devoted servants, the time has come for the ultimate retribution," Airachnid proclaimed.

As soon as she said those words, trouble awakened.

* * *

"Optimus, no word yet from Bulkhead," Ratchet reported gravely, "But I am detecting some rather interesting subterranean frequencies."

"Of Earthly origin?" Optimus inquired.

"I do not yet know what they are. But I do know where," Ratchet reported as he typed in a few commands.

"The coordinates of where we last encountered Megatron," Optimus rumbled as he tightened his hold on Cayden.

"And Airachnid," Arcee snarled, not willing to let it go.

"And Airachnid's Insecticon," Ratchet piped in, angry as well.

"I hate those things," Talida growled dangerously, her hands glowing to show that anger.

"**Tally!**" Bumblebee cried as he gently placed two fingers on her shoulders, "**You need to calm down! It's not worth it!**"

"How can you say it isn't worth it?!" Talida snapped, "We've lost too much, 'Bee! And the only way it's going to stop is if Airachnid knows the same pain we feel! Or is stopped! Permanently! Airachnid almost killed all of us, Bumblebee! Arcee and I more than the rest! And if fate or Megatron doesn't intervene, then I will!"

"No you will not, Talida!" Optimus protested as he handed Cayden to Arcee.

"You can't stop me, dad. So don't even try!" Talida advised, shaking as Optimus knelt in front of her.

"Whatever choice you decide is up to you. You are right. I cannot stop you. Sixteen years old is old enough for you to start making your own choices in life. But as your father, I am allowed to remind you of a fact of two about his daughter. I do know that the daughter I raised is nothing like a Decepticon. You are nothing like Airachnid, sweetspark. Nothing. I, too, have thought of extracting revenge on Airachnid for everything she has done to my family. For everything she did to my sons, my spark mate and my daughter. Then, just as I went to deliver the final blow, I thought about something. Something made me change my mind. And that was my family. I thought about what I would lose if I went through with it. You should know what that's like. You are a parent yourself," Optimus stated as he placed a hand on her back.

"Leave Raf out of this," Talida pleaded.

"Rafael could be a reminder of what you have to lose if you do this," Optimus said casually before standing, "Just think about that. Because you have stopped me before."

* * *

Many Insecticons broke out of their stasis pods with loud roars. Each of them had a mission to complete for their mistress. One they were eager to do.

"Arise, my armada! AND ATTACK!" Airachnid instructed.

The Insecticons know of Airachnid's intentions. They knew what she wanted. They knew that she wanted Megatron dead and to take over the Decepticons. Since they were under her spell, they were more than happy to obey her request. Each of them transformed and flew out of the mine towards the skies above.

* * *

Above them, Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Talida stepped out of the GroundBridge. Talida clutched her sword in her hand tight enough for her knuckles to turn white. She was like this whenever Airachnid was involved. Optimus almost told Talida that she should remain with Ratchet and Cayden. But…he remembered what happened last time he attempted to do just that. Knowing he didn't want to relive through that again, he brought her with him.

He only just hoped that she took his words to heart.

"We are in all likelihood witnessing the launch of a mission to terminate Megatron," Optimus observed.

"I can't think of a reason to stop that. Even if we could," Arcee admitted.

"We hate Airachnid and her Insecticons more?" Talida supplied the answer.

"There's that," Arcee shrugged.

"But we can stop Airachnid," Optimus stated.

As Talida's sword began to glow, Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee unfolded their blasters. Looking up, Airachnid smirked when she saw her enemies standing there.

"Rear guard, engage the Autobots," Airachnid instructed.

Many Insecticons appeared from the rear guard and commenced open fire. The four Autobots were barely able to shield themselves from each blaster shot. Looking up, Airachnid was almost satisfied with the work of the Insecticons. However, her satisfaction was quick to disappear when she saw her enemies. Arcee had transformed into her vehicle mode and jumped down with Talida on her back.

"I'm not letting you get away again," Talida vowed.

Quickly, Airachnid stood on her spider legs and began her hasty retreat. Arcee and Talida were just as quick to follow her. Too many times, they had lost her. This time, she wasn't going to slip through their fingers again.

That's a promise.

* * *

Optimus and Bumblebee saw that the Insecticons were going to chase them. Well…not on their watch. They began shooting them down and destroying them. Not that it was a hard thing to do. These Insecticons were weaker than the sentries that remained on Cybertron.

But it didn't mean they were going to give up.

Not with their family at stake.

* * *

Bulkhead had found his way into the underground vent system and was crawling his way through it. It was one of the few places on the Nemesis that didn't have surveillance. It was perfect.

He froze in surprise when he heard something he'd never thought he'd hear. Sobbing. Looking up, he saw through the barred seal in the vent system. Immediately, he recognized the room below as Megatron's private quarters. But…that wasn't the part that surprised him. What surprised him was Malita. Hugging her legs, she had hidden her face from the world as she sobbed freely. Bulkhead was confused until he noticed the bruises forming on her body. Nausea overwhelmed him as he realized what was going on.

She was the victim of domestic abuse.

From her father.

And he thought he's doing more than beat her.

Desperately, he wanted to help the young woman. He knew that if someone had done that to Rayna or Talida, he wouldn't hesitate to kill the person behind it all with his bare hands. But for some reason, he just couldn't. He remembered everything she had done to Talida. And he loved his goddaughter more than anything in the entire world. Many people would be able to testify to that. So…he decided that it wouldn't be worth it and continued on.

"Stealthy… Stealthy…," Bulkhead chided.

"Lord Megatron!"

"Yes. What is it?" Megatron asked as he walked through the hallway.

"We have an intruder!"

"Autobot?" Megatron guessed.

Bulkhead immediately shrunk down in nerves. He prayed he wasn't caught. Getting caught by the Decepticons might as well be game over.

"Starscream! He was last seen in the vicinity of the bridge!"

That caused Bulkhead to freeze in surprise. He was sure he killed Starscream. As he saw Megatron walk towards the bridge, he asked himself…

What the heck is going on here?

* * *

Airachnid raced through the forest with Arcee and Talida hot on her heels. Her Autobot foes weren't new to her evasive techniques. She whenever she tried to shake them, she'd find them hot on her tail again. Slowing to a stop, she turned around and saw she had gained a few feet between herself and Arcee and Talida.

And they were catching up fast.

"Arcee, wanna know what I hate about Insecticons?" Talida asked as she looked up behind them.

"What?" Arcee inquired.

"You can't shake them," Talida revealed.

That was true. Two Insecticons were hot on their tail eager to protect Airachnid. Talida couldn't hide the smirk on her face as she danced around to avoid shots. One of their maneuvers worked so well that an Insecticon crashed into a tree so bad, it destroyed its wings and it ended up crashing a few feet ahead of them…

Into Airachnid.

"NO!"

Arcee and Talida came to a stop near the ledge as they saw Airachnid tumble down. Talida jumped off and allowed Arcee to transform into her bipedal mode. They watched Airachnid burrow herself into the ground as a means of escape. Approaching the crater, Arcee and Talida had the same look on their faces. They'd rather die then let Airachnid get away with what she'd done again.

"Underground. There's a surprise. Let me guess, Tally. You're not gonna stay behind," Arcee sighed.

"And have dad chew my head off for letting you go after Airachnid alone. Sure. I'm his daughter. But if you get hurt, I doubt that would matter," Talida pointed out, "Besides, you're not the only one with a grudge against Airachnid. She killed my brother and tried to kill my stepbrother, my half-brother and me. I have my own score to settle."

"Just remember, honey. You're nothing like her," Arcee reminded her.

"I should say the same to you," Talida retorted as they jumped down.

* * *

Megatron arrived at the vicinity of the bridge…only to be surprised. Vehicons were sprawled on the floor so busted up that there were sparks coming out of them. This somewhat amused him. How could Starscream do damage like that?

With his canon unfolded, Megatron walked into the bridge…only to see Starscream standing before the controls acting as though he owned the place. Megatron had to admit. Starscream was a coward and a brilliant strategist. But…he had some brass bearings with certain situations.

"Megatron. It has come time to settle old scores," the main clone decreed.

Megatron couldn't help but cackle before asking, "Really, Starscream? All on your own?"

"Actually," the three remaining clones chorused as they came out of hiding, missiles at the ready.

"Clones. Well played, Starscream…if you're even here among your underlings," Megatron complimented.

"Underlings?" one clone repeated in offence, "We are of one."

"But many," another clone continued.

"Bring me Starscream's head on a stick. And I will reward you as my second-in-command. All of you," Megatron vowed.

"No! You're trying to trick us!" one clone cried.

"Am I?" Megatron asked with a smirk.

"Is he?" one of the clones mused.

"Accept my proposal and we all win. Otherwise, you will all merely end up attempting to terminate each other to obtain the spoils. It is in your nature after all," Megatron smirked.

"Don't listen to him!" one clone warned.

"Prepare to perish at my hand," another clone sneered.

"OUR HANDS!" yet another clone corrected.

"Yes. Only our combined firepower will assure Megatron's destruction!" the main clone proclaimed.

"Time's ticking!" another drone pointed out.

Then he heard the sound that was all too familiar to them. Many relished them. Many dreaded them. They all knew what it was.

Insecticons.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Ignore! Fire on three! One! Two!" they began.

Their counting ended as they felt the ship shake beneath their feet and around them. It sent the Starscream clones hurtling towards the ground.

"What was that?!" one clone demanded as he looked up…only to see Megatron aim his canon at him.

"The sound of the tables turning," Megatron answered casually.

One of the clones screamed in horror at the sight of his fellow clone dying under Megatron's hand. The two clones standing next to him were killed as well. It only left him. His only prayer was that he didn't die as well.

* * *

Starscream was clutching his midsection, crying in pain at each bolt of pain. He thought that the pain he felt when the first clone died would be it. However…he was wrong.

"WHAT IS GOING ON UP THERE?!" he roared.

* * *

The beaten Starscream clone were moaning and whimpering as he went to crawl away, his body burning in pain from the injuries Megatron inflicted on him. Megatron decided to taunt him.

"Terminating you was so satisfying the first three times," Megatron remarked.

_BANG!_

Taking his chance, the Starscream clone ran away while Megatron was distracted by the ongoing Insecticon attack outside. With a shrug, Megatron folded his canon back into his hand and went to see what was going on.

"Airachnid. A busy day for assassins," Megatron mused.

* * *

Bumblebee raced towards the oncoming Insecticon bug. He was getting annoyed. So he jumped up and kicked the Insecticon so bad, it lost trajectory and crashed to the ground below with Optimus assisting in its destruction. The two stood over the fallen Insecticon. That was the last one. Now they had one thing to worry about.

And that was Arcee and Talida.

"Arcee! Talida!" Optimus called, worried about his spark mate and daughter.

* * *

Megatron casually walked onto the roof of the Nemesis with his canon unfolded. Numerous drones were felled by the fatal blasts from the Insecticon blasters. Despite their best attempts, none of the shots hit Megatron and killed him. Megatron, however, never missed when he fired at the many Insecticons in the air. Albeit, he took some drones with him.

* * *

Arcee and Talida stood at the ready as they entered the cavern. Surrounding them were numerous stasis pods that belonged to the many Insecticons they have fought on Earth. Arcee and Talida glanced at each other with the same look on their face. They were tired. They were frustrated.

They wanted it to end.

"Arcee, on your upper six!" Talida called.

Arcee glanced into the reflection from the stasis pod and saw that she was right. Quickly, they danced around avoiding Airachnid's fire from high above them. Arcee returned some shots of her own while Talida reflected them with her sword. A wave of energy came from her sword as Talida swiped it in the air. The wave hit Airachnid and sent her hurtling to the ground. She wasn't fazed by it. She could take a punch. Compared to the hits she had taken before, this was nothing.

When she looked up, she saw Arcee and Talida approaching her weakened form. Their weapons were at the ready. They wanted to end it so bad, they could taste it. Airachnid knew this. She saw it for herself during every battle they've fought. So…why not taunt them about it?

"When you extinguish my spark, make it hurt. You know I would extend that courtesy to you," Airachnid smirked.

"We're not like you," Arcee and Talida snarled.

They really wanted to end it. Really, they did. But something stopped them. And that was their family. What would Optimus think? They remembered what he said. They would gain no satisfaction in killing Airachnid like they desire to. Tailgate, Cliffjumper and Shanahan would still be dead. They'd still have the scars. And Arcee didn't want Cayden to think that his mother was ruthless and willing to kill in cold blood.

"Very well," Airachnid shrugged before turning to Talida, "You're first on my list."

"Over my dead body!" Arcee growled.

Immediately, Arcee jumped between Talida and Airachnid and began the battle. One thing that Talida wasn't going to do is let Arcee battle Airachnid on her own. Glancing around, she glanced at Arcee and gestured to the nearby stasis pod. Seeing the plan that Talida was beginning to form, Arcee nodded in response. There were times where Talida would have what she'd call a stroke of genius. This was one of them. All they had to do is lure Airachnid into their little trap.

Arcee was lucky to blow some of Airachnid's deadly blows. Talida was the same. But they persevered. They found a way to fight back and push her to the edge.

"Go for it, Arcee!" Talida cried.

Nodding, Arcee kicked Airachnid twice in the chest and knocked her towards it. Hearing the beeping, Airachnid realized too late the trap she had walked into. Glancing at her enemies, she saw Arcee and Talida just standing there casually.

"NO!"

She went to step out. But the stasis pod closed around her before she could. Talida couldn't hide the satisfaction she felt when she saw her limb come off. Sighing, she stowed her sword on her back and glanced up at her stepmother. Arcee was showing the same relief that Talida was feeling. They were happy. Finally. It was over.

They could sleep at night.

Or could they?

* * *

Megatron continued shooting the Insecticons out of the sky and destroy them. However, that didn't stop them from landing next to him on the Nemesis. Snarling, one of the Insecticons raised his clawed hand and prepared to strike. However, something stopped him. It was as if the fog was being lifted from view. He could see what he's doing was wrong. Where his allegiance really lied. Megatron watched as the other Insecticons ceased their attacks and came down. They were swearing their allegiance to him rather than to Airachnid.

"Forgive us, one true lord and master," they chorused.

"This day has certainly seen its share of thwarted intentions," Megatron remarked, slightly amused.

As he glanced around the roof filled with many Insecticons, Megatron had one question on his mind.

Where was he going to put so many Insecticons in the ship?

And will they actually get on with the other members in the Decepticon cause? Mindless drone and actual members alike?

This will be interesting.

* * *

Bulkhead jumped out of the vent system and landed in the engine room. Honestly, he was getting frustrated. He has spent far too long aboard this ship. Too many times he had almost died under the hands of the Decepticons. OK. That's something he expected due to the war. But on their stomping grounds?! That was considerably rare. Especially since they brought the war to Earth. But…there's one thing for certain. He wasn't going to join the Autobots who died here. Aboard this very ship.

"One way or another, I'm getting off this boat!" Bulkhead decreed.

Unfolding his hammer, he jumped down towards the engine of the Nemesis…

And smashed it.

* * *

"NOW WHAT?!"

Megatron was surprised when he heard the explosion and saw the black smoke. Slowly, the Nemesis began its unscheduled descent to the Earth below.

* * *

When Bulkhead ran out towards the entrance of the Nemesis, he was surprised. He ran into Starscream again.

What the heck is going on?!

"Out of my way!" Starscream snarled as he transformed and flew out of the Nemesis.

There were a lot of things that confused Bulkhead.

This was one of them.

* * *

Struggling to find stable ground, Megatron stumbled into the control room. Immediately, the drones turned to face him and give their report. And it wasn't because they feared that Megatron would kill them if they didn't.

"My liege, our power core have been compromised," one drone reported.

"Prepare for landing," Megatron instructed.

And land, they did. It was a rough landing as their engine shorted out. The Nemesis skidded on the ground before coming to a stop on the edge of a cliff. Taking his chance, Bulkhead transformed into his vehicular mode and escaped. Luckily for him, none of the Decepticons noticed his presence or his departure. One thing that Bulkhead did was make one quick escape away from the warship. He had spent too long fighting for survival aboard the Nemesis.

He wasn't going to spend any second longer than necessary aboard that Decepticon hellhole!

* * *

Bulkhead wasn't the only member of the Autobots to face interesting surprises. When Arcee and Talida caught up with Bumblebee and Optimus, they were surprised when they showed up with Airachnid locked in a stasis pod. Ratchet certainly was.

"Stasis?!" Ratchet said in surprise, "She deserves worse!"

"We could've given her worse," Talida growled as she reached for her sword.

"We intended worse," Arcee piped in, "More times then you know."

"You two are stronger for the choice you made," Optimus said as he gave both his favourite girls a hug.

A series of honks destroyed the moment as they all turned to face the corridor. After a day-long absence, they saw that Bulkhead was finally returning to base. Transforming, his face said it all.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Confusion.

"Guys, you aren't gonna believe the day I had!" Bulkhead remarked…before noticing the looks Optimus, Arcee, Talida, Bumblebee and Ratchet were giving him and the stasis-locked Airachnid, "You too, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Talida nodded in agreement.

* * *

Starscream waited silently inside the safe confines of The Harbinger remains. After feeling the pain of the demise of his other four clones, he was waiting for the sole survivor to return for its progress report.

Was Megatron's spark terminated?

Or was he still around for another day?

"Lord Starscream, your most loyal servant has returned," the clone decreed as he walked into the laboratory and prepared to fire a missile at its creator, "But I regret to inform you that our collective mission has failed."

"Hmmm… Yes. I got that sense. Something to do with the throbbing ache in my side!" Starscream snarled as he whirled around and fired a missile at his clone, wincing in pain as he felt the missile hit his clone as he walked over and stood on his chest.

"You knew I would attempt to terminate you," the clone rasped.

"I feel your pain. Really I do," Starscream snarled as he aimed his final missile.

_BANG!_

"ARGH! SCRAP THAT HURT!"

* * *

Talida walked past the storage vault where they were storing Airachnid. Entering the code, she opened the door and walked inside, coming face to face with the manifestation of her fears. She lost many nights of sleep because of her. Both Arcee and herself had many opportunities to extract their vengeance. Finally end their suffering and terminating the cause of everything that happened. However, there would always be someone to stop them.

"Ta…Tali..."

Talida quickly turned around and saw Bumblebee standing there worriedly. Bumblebee was nervous about bringing Airachnid into the Autobot base. Especially somewhere that, while under lock and key, Arcee and Talida had easy access to. They could easily free Airachnid from stasis and finally end it all.

"Bee? What are you doing here?" Talida demanded.

"**I should ask you the same,**" Bumblebee said dryly.

"Resolution," Talida answered as she turned away from him, "Is it over, Bee? Is it really over?"

"**Airachnid can't touch any of you anymore. He can't touch you. He can't touch Arcee. He can't touch Jack. It's finally over, Talida. You're safe,**" Bumblebee promised as he knelt next to her.

"How do I know that?" Talida asked, "I always thought that the day Airachnid didn't become a problem anymore, I'd feel…relief. That I could finally sleep at night like I hadn't since the whole thing with Unicron happened. Now that it's actually happened, I don't know what I feel. Satisfaction. Relief. Frustration. Anger."

"**This may not be the ending you and Arcee have planned for Airachnid. You should be comforted by the fact that it's an ending. That it's finally over. Airachnid can't touch you again. I'd rather die then let that happen. To you or Raf,**" Bumblebee vowed.

"You always did know what to say," Talida chuckled slightly as she kissed his mouth.

"Ta…Tali…Talida," Bumblebee finally succeeded in saying her name.

"Come on. Let's get out of here. Dad'll kill us if he saw us in the vault," Talida laughed.

* * *

"I should feel relieved. Airachnid's been after me since the day Tailgate died. Even more after I accidentally killed her son during a battle with Megatron. Multiple times, she came close to killing me, to killing Talida, to killing Jack. So…why do I feel so empty?" Arcee asked as she fed Cayden his nighttime low-grade Energon.

"You have spent most of your career as a soldier chasing after Airachnid, Arcee. You also did not get the ending that you and Talida have planned long ago. Simply, you're not feeling satisfied with the end result," Optimus answered as he sat next to her.

"I still have the chance," Arcee pointed out before glancing down at her son, "But…I'm not going to take it."

"Why not?" Optimus inquired, clearly confused.

"Someone once told me and his teenage daughter something along the lines of us not being like Airachnid," Arcee shrugged with a slight smirk.

Optimus laughed slightly before kissing his spark mate's cheek and taking Cayden from her arms into his own the metallic bottle was completely empty.

"Get some sleep, love. I'll put him to bed tonight," Optimus decided as he stood up.

"You put him to bed last night," Arcee protested as she stood up.

"This will be the first full night's sleep you've gotten since your personal battle with Airachnid began. I don't want you to miss a wink of it," Optimus said.

"Hmm…I don't know. I guess I'm a bit…_overactive_ and full of leftover energy that will only be burned off with…_special methods_," Arcee smirked as she ran a hand over her body seductively.

Optimus couldn't lay Cayden down in the nursery they had built fast enough. After giving his son a kiss goodnight and making sure he fell into recharge, he raced back into the quarters and practically scrambled onto the berth. His body was filled with months of unreleased sexual tension. They would've re-cemented their love and commitment to one another the night Optimus came back. However, the fact that Arcee had recently had a crash C-section and her injuries sustained on Cybertron prevented them from doing so. And being the parents of a young sparkling and fighting a war, they hardly had time for themselves.

As for how loud they were in their _activities_…well, let's just say they awoke the following morning to a grumpy nine-week-old sparkling…

And death glares from practically everyone in the base.

"_You go… Giving up your home…  
__Go… Leaving all you've known…_

_You go… Giving up your home…  
__Go… You are not alone…  
__You are not alone…_

_You are not alone…_

_You are not alone…_"

* * *

**Here comes the promo for the next episode.**

**Let's just say that it'll be an interesting one.**

**And we say goodbye to a character here…**

* * *

_Megatron: Optimus has grown ruthless since our last encounter._

Show Optimus charging towards the camera with a battle cry

_**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_Optimus: This may be our only chance to end the war once and for all._

_Talida: Who are we to pass it up?_

Show Optimus avoiding a purple ray around a field

Show Optimus jumping into the air with the Spark Extractor in his hand

Show Optimus frozen as he falls to the ground

_Megatron: We shall crush Optimus Prime and destroy the Autobots!  
_

Show Bumblebee jumping into the air

Show a dish firing a bright purple beam

Show Bumblebee falling to the ground

Show an explosion

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction…**_

* * *

**This'll be interesting… Also, can someone tell me why the underlines won't work here?!**

**BYE!**


	8. Flying Mind

**So this is what happens when you don't update for a few weeks…**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**devildog452:** _**Hey can I ask you something please?**_

**Just go ahead and ask already!**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Love it, love it, LOVE IT! :D If you ask me, I think Arcee and Talida made the right decision.**_

**I personally wish that Airachnid was dead. But at least it's something.**

**haloangel21: **_**No one knows exactly what happened to Airachnid. My guess is that she perished with the base or she escaped and is lying around…somewhere… But good thing is, she won't bother us for the time being. C:**_

_**Can't wait for the next chapter! ;D**_

**It'd be pretty cool if in the finale, they were finally able to kill of Airachnid.**

**Vector Sigma101: **_**Great chapter! The last segment made me laugh. XD  
**_

**That's what I was aiming for.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**so that's whats been going on with Malita…Didn't expect that.**_

**Seriously?**

**CZSTeridaxPrime: **_*****__**sigh**__*** Family…**_

**Can't live with them. Can't live without them.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Good chappie. Airachnid is finally taken care of! YES! As far as the underlines, I see them in the promo. Where are they not working?  
**_

**They just don't show up at all in the document. It's quite frustrating, really.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Oh, I remember the next episode. It was kind of funny in some parts. Please update!**_

**It was, wasn't it?  
**

**Abyss Prime: **_**The underlines are working. What you talkin' 'bot?**_

**They wouldn't show up on my computer.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**You're getting rid of a character? Well I can probably guess, but I could be wrong about who… Soo, good chapter!**_

**Thanks!  
**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Perhaps the song 'Skyfall' from Adele, could be used either in, 'Hurt', 'Out of the Past', or 'Regeneration'. Oh, and it's obvious hwo's gonna die. Your OC is gonna die, while my OC's will be born, one already has, the 2**__**nd**__**, in due time**_

**I don't really like the song Skyfall so it's not going to be used.**

**Guest: **_**I can assume a good amount of us are wondering how the Nemisis is gonna see techno organics. I can also assume your gonna put a scene with the kids finding Malita while aboard the ship.**_

**That's for me to know and you to find out.**

**Sephiroth 200: (1) **_**up next is fling mind right? I must say Icegirl im impressed with your wok. Oh where are my manners? My names sephiroth and I have been a huge fan of your work. Especially Talida prime: rising darkness. By the way I'm afraid im the bearer of bad news as well for bulkhead. 4 episodes from now his life changes forever. If you need details on the episodes after this one I'll see what I can provide you. Also more bad news exactly 2 episodes from now Starscream retrieves some new digs and I'm not talking about the harbinger. Any way this story sounds big and I want in. the show has been the bomb. But your story is the A- Bomb version of it. again its been a while since I've seen the show but I'll give you what knowledge I have. Pm me. Signed Sephiroth 200.**_

**I already know enough about the show. There's something called YouTube. But thanks for the offer.**

**(2) **_**I'm with everyone here. What the heck has megatron been doing to Malita?! I mean if knock outs worried then I really want to know. Also if this is on a daily basis then I might have a few ideas on what hes doing but I'm not sure yet. Also I know megatron was cruel on about a billion levels. But being an abusive father? That crosses the line. (pulls out a plasma pulse A.P. sniper rifle) Let me at him.**_

**Doy… *****face palm* Read chapter 7 again and pay attention.**

**Questioner: **_**Questioner:If Airachnid had a child, WHO WAS THE FATHER?!  
**__**Isf it is within your power, make it (drumroll)  
**__**SOUNDWAVE!  
**__**They hate each other in public, and love each other in private.  
**__**And he shows more emotion after she's gone.  
**__**Please, dedicate a chapter to this sweet couple eventually, like you did with the other couples in your first story.  
**__**BTW:KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!**_

**Er…you can create an account and write that story yourself. Airachnid and Soundwave is something that was never gonna happen in my series. Besides, the father of Airachnid's child is BREAKDOWN!**

_**Transformers: Prime **_**rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**The Catalyst **_**rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and their respective record label.**

**March 22: CIRCLE THE DATE!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_God bless us, everyone!  
__We're a broken people living under loaded gun!  
__And it can't be outfought! It can't be outdone!  
__It can't be outmatched! It can't be outrun!  
__NO!_

_God bless us, everyone!  
__We're a broken people living under loaded gun!  
__And it can't be outfought! It can't be outdone!  
__It can't be outmatched! It can't be outrun!  
__NO!_

_And when I close my eyes tonight!  
__To symphonies of blinding light…  
__God bless us, everyone!  
__We're a broken people living under loaded gun!  
__Oh-oh…_

_Like memories in cold decay!  
Transmissions echoing away!  
__Far from the world of you and I!  
__Where oceans bleed into the sky…_"

"Dreadwing, damage report," Megatron requested.

"We have suffered critical damage to all major systems, Lord Megatron. It will be some time before we can get the ship airborne," Dreadwing reported.

"Soundwave, reveal the culprit," Malita requested.

Soundwave said nothing as per usual. Instead, he showed security footage from the crash. They saw a mysterious person jumping towards the engines with his hammer and smash parts of it, causing the damage that forced their crash-landing. Soundwave managed to get a close-up on the person behind the crash. And that person was Bulkhead.

"So it was an Autobot who crippled my vessel! They would move quickly to exploit any perceived weakness," Megatron pointed out.

"Surely, they're not foolish enough to launch a direct assault, my liege," Knock Out objected.

"You need to remember, love. Things are different now," Malita reminded her soul mate.

"My daughter is right. Optimus has grown decidedly more ruthless since our last encounter. That can also be said for my dear niece," Megatron pointed out.

* * *

Soon enough, Knock Out, Dreadwing and Megatron were in the engine room of the ship. Surrounding them were multiple boxes of stored Energon. Before, Megatron had decided on a way to get the ship airborne sooner rather then later. Knock Out, however, had his objections.

"Lord Megatron, as your physician, I strongly advise against this!" Knock Out protested, "The Dark Energon's regenerative properties are impressive! But the side effects! There's no telling how it might impact the ship!"

"Dark Energon courses through my veins. Infusing the warship will enable me to manipulate the craft as if we are one. And together, we shall crush Optimus Prime and destroy the Autobots!" Megatron vowed.

TRANSFORMERS PRIME

"_God save us, everyone!  
__When we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns!  
__For the sins of our hand! The sins of our tongue!  
__The sins of our father! The sins of our young!  
__NO!_

_God save us, everyone!  
When we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns!  
__For the sins of our hand! The sins of our tongue!  
__The sins of our father! The sins of our young!  
__NO!_

_And when I close my eyes tonight!  
__To symphonies of blinding light…  
__God save us, everyone!  
__When we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns!  
__Oh-oh…_

_Like memories in cold decay!  
Transmissions echoing away!  
__Far from the world of you and I!  
__Where oceans bleed into the sky…_"

"But when the Insecticons suddenly backed off, I got inspired by my proximity to the power core and did what I do best," Bulkhead smirked as he pounded his fists together.

"You trashed Megatron's ride like a rock star in a hotel room!" Miko cheered as she held her hands up with the 'rock-on' sign.

"Hey! You said you wouldn't trash the Nemesis without me!" Talida cried in mock offence.

"Sorry, sprout. Next time we're aboard the Nemesis, we'll smash it together!" Bulkhead vowed as he ruffled her hair.

"You ever gonna stop calling me that?" Talida asked as she went to fix her hair.

"Not even when you're old and grey and we're rusting away," Bulkhead vowed.

"We should hit the 'Cons right now while they're vulnerable!" Arcee decreed as she and Bumblebee stepped forward.

"Megatron's warship may be grounded. But let's not forget that we remain vastly outnumbered. Especially since he has added the Insecticon hive to his ranks," Ratchet reminded everyone.

"I still hate those things," Talida grumbled.

"Then maybe it's time for me to call in an air strike," Fowler suggested as he stepped forward.

"Or for us to consider more extreme measures, Agent Fowler," Optimus corrected.

* * *

No sooner then had he said those words, Optimus took Ratchet and Talida to the vaults where they would start storing the Iacon relics as they collected them. The vaults were the safest place for storage within the entire base. Hard to get into. The fact that the Decepticons don't know the base's location was an added bonus.

"The spark extractor?!" Ratchet said in surprise, "Optimus, are you certain you want to travel down this path?"

"While I am deeply reluctant to deploy a weapon of this caliber, especially one forged by Decepticon hands, this may be our only chance to end the war once and for all," Optimus decreed.

"Who are we to pass it up?" Talida asked rhetorically.

* * *

Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron's plans were set into motion. The clawed grabs picked up the cubes of stored Dark Energon and were loading them into the power core. Once enough cubes were loaded into the core, Megatron stepped forward and pushed up the handle that began the flow of the Dark Energon through the entire system. The pipes that were once glowing blue began turning purple to match Megatron's optics. The lights that were once white turned purple. The computers that were once purple, red and blue turned completely red with highlights of white and pink.

One event that Megatron had no knowledge of was taking place at the workstation that once belonged to Orion Pax. The database that Orion was supposed to decrypt before his departure from the Decepticon ranks filled the multiple screens. This event was one that wouldn't be considered alarming. However, what made the event alarming was that it began decoding the entire database.

"Yes… I can feel it!" Megatron cheered.

* * *

"Optimus! I'm detecting a massive spike at the Decepticon crash site! It appears to be Dark Energon!" Ratchet announced.

"What?" Talida stuttered.

Without saying another word or even offering any form of clarification, Ratchet immediately raced to the GroundBridge and pulled down the handle for activation. Instantly, they heard the whirr of the GroundBridge coming to life and the portal appearing in the long hallway that once held no exit.

"Autobots, transform and roll out," Optimus immediately instructed.

Immediately, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee obeyed their leader's instructions. They transformed into their vehicular modes and raced through the GroundBridge. Optimus went to follow. However, he was stopped by the voice of Agent Fowler.

"Hold on, Prime!" Fowler called, "If you are going to deploy some sort of super weapon in a final showdown with the 'Cons, it's my job as a representative of planet Earth to bear witness."

"Guess that means I'm going with. Whenever Fowler encounters the 'Cons, trouble usually follows. He's gonna need a protection detail," Talida pointed out.

Optimus found himself unable to form any argument against Fowler and Talida. Fowler was right about representative from Earth needing to witness this event. Talida was right about Fowler needing a protection detail to watch his back. Whenever Fowler got fully involved in the war, trouble usually ensues.

* * *

Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee turned around and saw Optimus approaching. Fowler and Talida immediately jumped out of the truck, allowing Optimus to transform into his bipedal form. Walking forward, Fowler couldn't help but be amazed.

When they arrived at the site, the Autobots didn't know what to expect. They knew to expect something dangerous because of the involvement of Dark Energon. One thing they certainly didn't expect was for the ship to be airborne.

"Sweet Lady Liberty!" Fowler whistled.

With his visor, Soundwave showed footage from outside the Nemesis. Megatron glanced at the visor and knew that his mortal enemies had arrived. This was perfect. Now he could finally set his plans to motion and finally end the war in their favor.

"Optimus, you never disappoint," Megatron smirked, "And neither do you, my dear niece."

Optimus immediately stepped forward as the guns aboard the Nemesis were deployed. He stood in front of Arcee and Bulkhead, ready to fight if necessary. Behind him, Arcee and Bulkhead tensed as they too prepared to fight.

"Bumblebee, now," Optimus instructed.

In his vehicular mode, Bumblebee raced forward towards the Nemesis, swerving around on occasion to avoid the purple shots that were fired from the guns above him.

"Fowler, come with me," Talida advised as they raced for cover.

"Arcee, Bulkhead, draw their fire," Optimus requested as they raced forward.

From behind their cover, Fowler could see what was happening through a pair of binoculars. They watched Bumblebee as he swerved around to avoid the occasional shots that would still be fired at him. In the front passenger seat of Bumblebee's car…

Was the Spark Extractor.

"_Once you launch the spark extractor, be sure to be clear of its radius before it activates._"

No sooner then Optimus gave the warning, Bumblebee transformed into his bipedal mode and raced towards the Nemesis with the spark extractor in his hand. On top of the Nemesis, a device that looked like a navigation dish appeared. A purple beam spurted from its antenna. As Bumblebee jumped up to activate and throw the spark extractor at the Nemesis, the beam hit him. Weak beeps could be heard as he fell to the ground completely immobilized. The spark extractor fell out of his hands.

"BUMBLEBEE!" Talida screamed as she went to run after him.

"TALIDA! STAY BACK!" Fowler warned as he grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

"Bumblebee!" Optimus cried after seeing what had happened.

"MINE!" Arcee called as she grabbed the spark extractor.

"Arcee, be careful!" Optimus pleaded, not really up to the challenge of raising his teenage daughter and young son on his own if something happened to her.

No sooner then those words were said, Arcee was hit. She rolled across the ground for a few feet before coming to a stop, immobilized like Bumblebee. The spark extractor fell out of her hands and landed next to her.

* * *

Megatron was watching this through the screen. He was partially impressed. But mostly, he was confused. Knock Out, Soundwave and Dreadwing were the same way.

"I never realized the ship was equipped with a stasis beam," Knock Out admitted.

"I lived aboard the Nemesis my entire life and I never knew about it," Malita said.

"Malita, if you value your life, it would be wise to keep your mouth shut unless it is absolutely necessary," Megatron warned, causing Knock Out to snarl in anger.

* * *

Bulkhead made a grab for the spark extractor. However, unlike Arcee and Bumblebee, he didn't make a move. Instead, he stood still and was hit by the stasis beam. Optics wide in horror, Optimus quickly raced forward, jumping and rolling around to avoid the stasis beam.

"Come on, dad," Talida muttered.

Racing past the stunned Arcee and Bumblebee, Optimus retrieved the spark extractor from Bulkhead's possession. Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere on the ground, he jumped. The stasis beam shut down for the time being. However, it was quick to start up again as it aimed at the airborne Optimus. Electricity cackled from Optimus' body as he was immobilized.

Talida watched him fall to the ground in horror. First her fiancé. Then her stepmother. Then her godfather. And now, her father. As she and Fowler glanced at each other in worry, she couldn't help but wonder.

Were they next?

As they looked up and saw the Nemesis approaching them, they couldn't help but think they were.

"So much for Christmas with your mother in Fiji," Fowler remarked.

"Dude, keep that info to yourself," Talida advised, cringing in disgust.

The two of them couldn't help but be surprised at something. First, the guns began searching for any remaining Cybertronians. Second, the guns looked as though they were ready to fire at Talida, who began distancing herself from Fowler so he wouldn't get hit. Then they did something that surprised them. They stowed themselves away, as if the two of them weren't worthy targets.

"The spark extractor!" Megatron gasped as he noticed the weapon in Autobot possession, "Guide us closer so that I may collect what belongs to me and destroy the Autobots!"

However, that was something that wasn't going to happen. At Orion Pax's old workstation, one set of coordinates were decoded and pinpointed on the map. With a mind of its own, the Nemesis began flying away from the battlefield, surprising Fowler and Talida on the ground even more.

"Team's down. Requesting medevac," Fowler spoke into the radio.

"You're not gonna believe this one, Ratchet," Talida remarked.

* * *

"What?! Where are you going?! I said closer!" Megatron roared at his troops.

"Megatron, the ship seems to be navigating itself," the drone defended itself.

"Override," Megatron requested.

What happened next was something no one was able to see coming. The drone typed in the commands for a full-system override to regain control of the ship. The ship rejected the commands for the full-system override and continued on.

"The systems are bypassing manual contro-ARGH!"

That was what no one was able to see coming. The drone was stunned by waves of electricity coming from the controls and fell to the ground dead. Earthling electricity was more dangerous then Cybertronian electricity. It was fatal.

"It now appears the ship possesses a will of its own!" Malita cried.

"Impossible!" Megatron snapped as he whacked Malita hard enough to knock her down to the lower level, "Knock Out! Trace the problem to its source and fix it."

"Malita, head to the med bay. I'll meet you there," Knock Out promised.

Wheezing and clutching her ribs, Malita stumbled away from the bridge towards the med bay. However, halfway there, she lost her footing and collapsed.

"**Do not tamper with my systems. This is your only warning.**"

"Warning?!" Megatron repeated in disbelief.

"**My mission assumes priority. Any Cybertronian who interferes will be neutralized.**"

"My own vessel dares to address me in threatening tones?!" Megatron roared in disbelief.

"It also seems to be doing a better job of decoding the Project Iacon database then we were," Knock Out said after Soundwave brought the subject to notice, "It's already deciphered a new set of coordinates."

"And judging by our current course, that is precisely where the ship is headed," Dreadwing observed the course direction on Soundwave's visor.

"As I desire. You see?! This warship is nothing more then an extension of my very will!" Megatron scoffed.

"**Your will is nothing. The Iacon artifacts will belong to me.**"

"I am Lord Megatron! I command you to cease operations!" Megatron roared.

"**You are no longer in command.**"

A ray of purple light appeared above Megatron and emitted a painful noise. Kneeling to the ground, Megatron clutched his head and let out cries of pain. The painful sensations in his head felt as though his entire CPU were being re-scrambled.

"Regain control of this vessel by any means necessary," Megatron snarled dangerously.

Immediately, Soundwave extended the claws of his arms towards the control panel. However, he grew to regret it due to the electricity that was emitted from the panel. Much like the drone before him, Soundwave was shocked. However, he didn't die. Instead, he was simply left in stasis like the Autobots were.

"All hands! Cut power to the mainframe and disconnect data relays! NOW!" Megatron immediately instructed.

* * *

Dreadwing took four drones with him for his part of the mission. They had to shut down the ship before they all ended up dead or in a prolonged stasis. Diagonal purple beams filled the corridor then moved around all the corridors, looking for any Cybertronian that dared to stop the ship from performing its task. Dreadwing and the four drones were the first to be hit by the beams. They were all frozen in place.

Four Insecticons snarled as they walked around the corridors of the ship. Even though they mainly acted on their primal instincts, they still understood orders. Even if those orders were to shut down the systems and stop the ship. However, those Insecticons, along with the rest of the Decepticons in the ship's corridors, were hit by the same beans that hit Dreadwing and the drones that accompanied him.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Autobot base, Fowler, Ratchet and Talida had succeeded in bringing the Autobots that were locked in stasis into the confines of the base. Silently, Ratchet was relieved that Cayden was currently having a nap in his parent's quarters after being fed low-grade Energon before his parents left. If Cayden was awake and saw his parents like this, he would go crazy.

"They're alive. But I've never encountered this form of stasis lock," Ratchet confessed.

"The 'Cons are crossing the Atlantic making a beeline for North America!" Fowler announced.

"Wait. We can track them?!" Jack said in disbelief.

"Why aren't they clocked like usual?" Raf asked.

"This whole thing isn't making sense," Talida sighed.

"They had Talida and myself in the crosshairs. But the 'Cons just took off," Fowler recalled.

"They even bailed on that spark extractor thingy!" Miko piped in.

"If the ship isn't cloaked, maybe the communication relay's open," Jack suggested.

"I taught you well," Talida smirked.

"Are you suggesting we just call Megatron and ask him what's happening up there?!" Ratchet asked in disbelief.

Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf glanced at each other, turned back to face Ratchet and shrugged, "Pretty much."

* * *

"Lord Megatron, the computer has decrypted another set of coordinates. Perhaps we should permit it to continue," Knock Out suggested.

Those were the last words Knock Out said.

For he too was stunned by the stasis beam.

"**I do not require permission.**"

Malita tried to move forward. But she couldn't. She wasn't going to deny it. Megatron had hit her hard when he pushed her away. Some of her ribs were fractured. And she could have sworn that she was suffering from internal bleeding. There was one thing she knew.

She didn't have much time.

* * *

"Autobot Outpost Omega One to Decepticon warship. Megatron, please respond," Ratchet requested into the radio, earning no response.

"Anything?" Talida asked.

"Not yet," Ratchet answered.

"Not even from Malita?" Jack surmised.

"Not a peep from her," Ratchet sighed.

Jack and Talida glanced at each other worriedly. They knew that the daughter of the Decepticon Lord had multiple times saved their lives while they were stranded on Cybertron. The least they can do is return the favor and save her life.

But would they get the chance?

* * *

Megatron raced through the corridors, knocking down multiple drones that stood in his way. He had enough. His ship was blatantly ignoring his commands. His troops were dead or in stasis. His eyes and ears of the cause was in stasis. His personal physician was in stasis. His first lieutenant was in stasis. His daughter was nowhere to be found after he abused her. Now he was going to regain control.

"This mutiny ends now!" Megatron roared as he grabbed the handle to reverse the flow of Dark Energon throughout the ship.

However, he met the same fate as the rest of his troops. He was stunned from behind with a stasis beam. The ship seemed to relish in his cry of surprise. Now that the entire ship was in stasis, no one can stop him.

* * *

"Megatron! Malita!" Ratchet kept on calling into the radio.

The voice that answered sent shivers racing up and down their spines.

"_**Megatron has been relieved of his command.**_"

"Who are you?!" Talida demanded, not showing her shock at the new voice, "What do you want with the Decepticon cause?!"

"_**Who is this?!**_"

"Have you taken control of the Nemesis?" Talida asked calmly.

"_**I am the Nemesis. Any Cybertronian who interferes with my mission will be neutralized.**_"

At first, they didn't believe him. However, when they saw photos of the troops in stasis, they had to believe him. Although, they still held some of their speculation.

"What is your mission?" Talida inquired.

"_**Priority one: decode Iacon Database and recover Decepticon technology.**_"

"For what purpose?" Talida questioned.

They earned no answer from the ship. Instead, the communication was terminated. Ratchet scrawled at the screen as though it was the one to blame.

"It hung up?! Rude!" Miko remarked.

"Rude?! There's a giant spaceship flying around collecting Decepticon weapons of mass destruction!" Fowler retorted.

"A giant spaceship filled with neutralized Decepticons," Jack reminded everyone.

"What are you thinking?" Talida wanted to know.

"This could be our only chance to slip aboard and download the Iacon database," Jack pointed out.

"So Optimus can decode it!" Raf piped in eagerly.

"Ingenious. I'll infiltrate the Decepticon warship," Ratchet decided.

"Not ingenious!" Jack immediately objected.

"You saw what it did to the troops!" Talida added.

"And probably to Megatron too," Raf said.

"And Team Prime!" Miko reminded them.

"But that tub had me and Talida dead to right! And I'm still breathing!" Fowler boasted.

"The ship may be blind to humans and techno organics," Jack realized.

"Very well, Agent Fowler. But at the first sight of trouble, I am bridging you back here," Ratchet decreed before grabbing a Cybertronian-sized flash drive, "In order to download the Iacon Database, you will need a compatible transfer drive."

"A what?" Fowler stuttered in confusion as he accepted the drive.

"USB," Talida clarified.

"You'll also need tech support," Raf said.

"And backup," Miko added.

"But I'm taking lead," Talida decided as she unsheathed her sword, "After being kidnapped and aboard the Nemesis multiple times, I know that place pretty well. You're gonna need a guide."

* * *

They didn't argue. Instead, the five of them wordlessly walked through the GroundBridge. Fowler still held the transfer drive in his hand and Talida was still holding her sword.

"Talida to base. We're in," Talida reported.

"_Good. Their data core should be accessible from any console._"

"I know of one that's nearby," Talida said as they took off.

They raced through the Nemesis, zigzagging past the multiple drones frozen in stasis lock. Eventually, they reached the console Talida wanted to use.

"Are we sure we should use this one?" Raf gulped nervously.

At first, Jack, Talida, Miko and Fowler were confused. However, when they saw Knock Out standing there frozen in stasis lock, they understood Raf's fear. Whenever they encountered Knock Out before, it never ends well.

Miko immediately raced forward and pounded Knock Out's leg. Earning no response, she turned to her friends and smirked,

"Doc Knock is knocked out."

"Look! The ship's decoded two sets of Iacon coordinates!" Raf cried.

"Make that three, honey," Talida corrected when she saw the computer add a third set of coordinates to the list, "Let's rip and run. I don't know how long this stasis is meant to last."

Immediately, Fowler, Raf and Talida of them began climbing up to the console using Knock Out as leverage. Fowler raced up ahead so he could hoist everybody else up. Raf was first, followed by Talida and finally, Fowler himself.

"Port's right here," Talida said as she gestured to the hole near the keyboard.

Fowler immediately went to plug in the transfer drive. As soon as the drive was registered, the download began. They watched the download bars go from one to two. Jack glanced at the map of North America on one of the smaller screens nearby. It was then that he noticed where it was and he knew what was going to happen next.

"Uh…why is the warship heading for Manhattan?" Jack asked, causing everyone else to look up in alarm.

"Because that's where the first set of coordinates are located," Raf answered.

* * *

"_What would a relic from Cybertron be doing in the Big Apple?_"

"The Iacon Relics landed on Earth eons ago, Agent Fowler. Long before the city was built atop it," Ratchet answered.

"_It's kinda weird they didn't find it before._ Considering that they had to dig underground to build the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge," Talida remarked.

"_It depends on where in Manhattan the relic landed._"

"Guys, this means if the ship wants this one, they're gonna have to move some buildings out of the way," Jack remarked as he climbed up and joined them after helping Miko up.

"Well, our mission just got complicated," Talida proclaimed.

"How do we deter this ship?" Fowler wanted to know.

"_I would advise disabling the navigation module. Call up the main navigation menu._"

"There!" Raf cried as he found it.

"Stay back, honey," Talida warned as she wrapped her arms around Raf to prevent him from going ahead.

"Stay with your mother, son. I've got this," Fowler promised.

However, this was something that Fowler hasn't got. When he knelt down and touched the metal surrounding the touchpad keyboards, he was electrocuted. They all raced forward to catch him before he fell over the edge to the ground. Unfortunately, they weren't quick enough. Fowler fell of the keyboard and to the ground unconscious.

"Agent Fowler!" Jack cried.

"**System access detected. Interference will not be tolerated.**"

"There!" Raf cried as he noticed a security camera on the ceiling.

"**Reveal yourself!**"

"It doesn't see us!" Miko cheered after nothing happened.

"_Not yet. The ship must not be scanning for carbon life forms. And since Talida is carbon on the outside rather then the inside, she is safe as well. However, once it expands its search parameters…_"

"We're toast," Raf surmised.

"_I'm bridging you back!_"

"No way, Ratchet!" Talida objected, "Not until I know Malita's OK!"

"Lida's…partially right. But there are millions of lives at stake in New York. And we four are currently the only ones able to do anything about it," Jack stated, "_Although, Malita does sort of factor in._"

"You're out of your element, Jack. These readings, the ship's rapid recovery all point to the fact that Megatron employed Dark Energon to repair it," Ratchet pointed out.

* * *

Talida was currently on the ground checking Fowler's pulse. She knew that he would be OK. Just…woozy for a little while. Like the time when Fowler was kidnapped by Starscream and Malita. This should lead to funny moments.

"Hold on. If you're saying that the ship was fuelled with Dark Energon," Jack began as he grabbed Miko's waist and helped her to the ground, "We can dump it, right?"

"To do that, we'll need to reverse the ship's Energon infuser," Talida pointed out.

"_That could work. To get there, you'll have to do is follow the main overhead conduits. They'll lead you to the power core. Otherwise, just follow Talida. As she said, she knows the Nemesis like the back of her hand._"

Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf raced through the corridors, taking Ratchet's advice as they followed the main overhead conduits towards the power core. They had to climb over fallen drones and race between their legs among other things.

"Oh my God!" Talida gasped as she noticed the body on the ground.

"Is that…?" Miko trailed off.

"Malita!" Talida cried as she raced forward towards her cousin.

"Talida," Malita rasped.

"What happened?" Jack demanded.

"My…father," Malita wheezed.

"By the AllSpark," Talida muttered, "That's why you haven't been out in the battlefield as much. What has he done to you?"

"He…he…," Malita whimpered.

"She doesn't look good," Raf observed.

"She's suffering some fractured ribs and internal bleeding. Megatron's hit her pretty good," Talida stated, "Malita, I'm having you bridged to our base. Ratchet can take care of you. Heal your injuries. Then you can join the Autobot cause. We'll protect you from Megatron. He'll never touch you again."

"Too…late," Malita objected weakly.

"It's never too late. Besides, I still have to pay off that final favor," Talida pointed out as she opened the commlink, "Ratchet, open a bridge and prepare sick bay. We found Malita. She's in a bad shape and she needs medical attention right now. Jack, Miko, Raf and I aren't leaving until this problem is taken care of."

"_I'll open the bridge and retrieve Malita. You continue on and reverse the flow._"

"I'll see you on the other side," Talida joked as she stood up.

"Tally…," Malita whispered, "Thanks."

"Now we're even," Talida smirked as she and the others ran off just as the GroundBridge appeared.

Eventually, the four of them reached the power core. When they did, they found a sight that they would have a hard time removing from their minds.

Megatron was standing by the switch for the Energon incisor. Actually, he was holding it. What surprised them was that, like everyone else on the ship, he was in stasis lock.

"Megatron had the same idea," Jack observed.

"Then we're on the right track," Raf decreed.

"We may have a hitch in our plan, guys. The Energon ejection valve can only be operated manually," Talida announced.

"Manually?!" Jack, Miko and Raf repeated in disbelief.

"Give me a boost," Jack requested.

"Me too," Talida added.

"Ladies first," Jack grunted as he pushed her up until she was able to grab on and climb.

Miko grabbed Jack's shirt, saying that she needed his attention for something. Before he could even ask why, she wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him. Raf looked away, finding the sight sickening. He didn't know what's worse. Jack and Miko making out. Or the tender moments between his parents.

"Be careful," Miko pleaded.

"I will," Jack promised before climbing up.

"Haven't you two heard of a phrase known as get a room?" Talida teased as she helped Jack onto the console.

"Shouldn't I say the same about you and Bumblebee?" Jack retorted with a smirk, causing Talida to turn quiet.

They carefully walked down Megatron's arm and jumped towards the console. Landing onto it, they immediately went towards the handle and began pushing. However, it wasn't budging. No matter how hard they tried, nothing happened.

"**I am infested with alien life forms!**"

That caused Jack and Talida to freeze. They have been caught out. What made them more worried was that the ship's attention was focused on Miko and Raf.

"Uh-oh. We just got made," Miko said nervously.

"Guys! Watch out!" Talida cried.

The claws made a dash for Miko and Raf. The two barely managed to move out of the way. Immediately, the two of them began hiding among the cubes of Energon. Jack and Talida somehow knew that all the claw would have to do was remove the cubes to get to them. And since there weren't many hiding places, they would be vulnerable. Miko and Raf would be dead in a matter of moments if the ship got to them.

"**All parasites will be eradicated.**"

"Over my dead body," Jack snarled.

"HEY! OVER HERE!" Jack and Talida called.

"MUM! JACK NO!" Raf cried.

"RUN FOR IT!" Miko pleaded.

As the claw made a dash for them, Jack and Talida began running. The two of them had a plan forming inside their heads. All they were hoping for was that it worked.

"Too slow!" Jack and Talida tormented as they approached Megatron.

Glancing behind them at the frozen Megatron, the two of them exchanged smirks. This was so going to work. As the claw made for them, Jack and Talida jumped at the last minute. They rolled off the console and onto the ground, landing roughly with a thud. The claw continued on until it hit Megatron straight in the chest. That caused Megatron to fall backwards…

Taking the handle with him.

Megatron just completed the mission for them without realizing it.

"Jack! Talida!" Miko cried as she and Raf fell to their sides.

"Remind us to never do that again," Talida moaned as she rubbed her shoulder.

"**Critical power drain. I am… in… command… Prepare to be… neutralized…**"

Around them, the ship began to return to the state it was in before the Dark Energon. Unfortunately, among them was Megatron beginning to come to.

"Run," Jack said.

They didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Back at base, the effects of the stasis beam were beginning to wear off on the Autobots. This was shown by the retraction of Optimus' battle mask and the way he clutched his head. It reminded him of the time he was hit by the Immobilizer thanks to Airachnid. It wasn't pretty. The same could be said for Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

Immediately, Optimus knelt down and held Arcee close to him. He felt tons of emotions. But the relief dominated them all. Relief that she was alright.

"Cayden!" Arcee gasped as she broke the embrace and took off running in the direction of the quarters she shared with Optimus.

Optimus chuckled to himself. Arcee was technically a first time mother despite helping him raise Talida for her daughter's entire life (minus the four-year absence). So the anxiety that first time mothers would feel at the prospect of being away from their children for too long at the fear of missing anything was true for her.

"Thank the AllSpark," Ratchet sighed in relief.

"What's Malita doing here?" Bulkhead asked as he noticed Malita on the human bed.

"Megatron beat her quite badly. Talida found her this way. I tried my best. But…there's nothing I can do. Her injuries are too severe," Ratchet sighed sadly, "She's currently on life support. But her machines will have to be turned off soon. I thought that it would only be fair if Talida was there to make that call, seeing that she is her former enemy."

Optimus sighed heavily. He knew that his niece was nothing like her father. Actually, she was almost like an older version of his daughter in some aspects. Ratchet's prognosis was heartbreaking.

"_Ratchet! _Fire up the GroundBridge!" Jack and Talida called as they raced through the Nemesis, where everyone was beginning to emerge from stasis.

"On your feet, soldier," Miko grunted as she helped the woozy Fowler to his feet.

"And beavers and ducks and walrus and Grandma!" Fowler sang before falling to the ground.

"That's all that's been downloaded?!" Jack said in disbelief as they looked at the download's progress.

"Well, what did you expect?! An entire database to be downloaded in five minutes?!" Talida asked incredulously.

"The Iacon file is huge," Raf stated.

"Su-weet!" Miko cheered as the GroundBridge opened behind them and she and Raf pulled Fowler to his feet, "Come on! Here's our ride!"

"Mum? Jack?" Raf pressed as he noticed that his mother and uncle hadn't followed them.

"Get Fowler out of here," Jack instructed as he kissed Miko's forehead.

"Something's better then nothing. We're not leaving without that drive," Talida said.

As Miko and Raf helped Fowler through the GroundBridge, Jack and Talida approached Knock Out and the console. Helping each other, they managed to scale up Knock Out towards the transfer drive. They began pulling at it, hoping it would dislodge before anything bad happened. With their luck, they didn't succeed. Knock Out emerged from stasis lock and noticed what was happening.

"Say aah…," Knock Out smirked.

Jack and Talida stumbled backwards as Knock Out edged closer to them with his drill unveiled. Jack immediately placed himself in front of Talida to the best of his ability. However, deep down inside, they knew it wouldn't do much.

"I'm here to offer a second opinion."

_WHACK!  
_

Ratchet emerged through the GroundBridge when he learned of the trouble. Casually, he drew his fist back and swung it across Knock Out's jaw, hitting him hard. Knock Out grunted as he landed on the console before falling to the ground. Talida smiled as she had flashbacks of the time she punched General Bryce. Never before had she punched someone and be rewarded with ice cream…

Talida was snapped out of her thoughts as Ratchet scooped her and Jack up with one hand and grabbed the transfer drive with his free hand. When Knock Out came to, Ratchet, Jack and Talida were gone…

And Megatron was standing there.

"Lord Megatron, I…," Knock Out began.

"You let them escape with my daughter and vital intelligence!" Megatron roared as he noticed the four decrypted coordinates.

"She's dead either way! The way you hit her is enough to kill her!" Knock Out snapped back.

* * *

"How's Malita?" Talida asked as Ratchet set herself and Jack down on the ground.

"The damage is severe," Ratchet sighed as he turned to his computer, "I can only keep her on life support for so long. We have to turn off the machines."

"When I swore that I would save Malita from Megatron, this isn't how I pictured it," Talida sighed, causing Jack to squeeze her shoulder in comfort.

"Even for her, it wouldn't be fair to be left in a vegetative state for the rest of her life," Miko reasoned, "No one deserves to be left like that. It just leads to more suffering."

"If that was me lying there on life support, would you do the same to me?" Talida asked Miko, her blue eyes glistening as she held back tears, "Would you turn off the machines?"

"I wouldn't let her," Optimus vowed with a rumble as he stepped forward.

"Optimus," Arcee whispered as she placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"It wouldn't be my call to make. But…I would think of how much you have suffered. And how you would suffer after being left in a vegetative state for the rest of your life. I wouldn't be able to put you through that. None of us would. Despite what they say. It would be too selfish. So…yeah. I'd turn them off," Miko confessed.

"Can I?" Talida asked.

When Ratchet nodded, Talida shakily stepped forward towards her former enemy. After years of fighting each other and unknowingly helping each other, she never thought that their relationship would end like this. With her flicking the switch. But Malita didn't deserve to spend the rest of her life as a vegetable. The flick of the switch would be quick, easy and painless.

"I'm sorry," Talida whispered.

She pressed the button. Slowly, they watched Malita's vitals drop. Her chest stopped moving as her lungs began to shut down. Her spark rate began to drop. The beeps became fewer and further apart. Until that long, drawn-out beep sounded. It was finally over.

Malita was dead.

* * *

"Lord Megatron, I regret to inform you that not only is Malita no longer on this ship. She is no longer with us," Dreadwing sighed, "Her life signal just went offline."

"You did this. You're just as responsible as our enemies," Knock Out snarled, "First my dear friend. Then the love of my life. _Your daughter!_ When will it end?!"

That was when Knock Out stormed out of the room. Megatron took no heed. Instead, he just stood there. He knew that his daughter was gone. But he never thought that she would die. He didn't take heed to Knock Out's accusation. Honestly, he didn't care.

He was rid of one mistake.

* * *

Eventually, everyone recovered from the shock that was left behind due to Talida turning off Malita's life support and the death of their enemy in their hands. Something they hated was being responsible for the deaths of so many others. However, it was the consequences of war. They had no choice in the matter. Refusing to take another life would result in their own lives being taken.

"The download of the Iacon database may have been incomplete. But we now possess four sets of coordinates decoded by the ship," Ratchet announced.

"We have to act fast," Talida immediately said, "Megatron knows about this too."

"He will not hesitate to obtain the potential doomsday devices which lie at the site of each," Optimus rumbled dangerously.

Before, it was a race to stop Megatron from doing whatever he wanted to do with the Dark Energon. It was a race that nearly cost everyone their lives. Then Optimus lost his memories and it became a race to get him back. It was a race that nearly cost Arcee, Jack and Talida their lives. Now, they had to race to stop the Decepticons from obtain whatever Iacon relics they would find. For a side in a war that had already lost so much in the multiple races of the war…

What will the race cost them this time?

"_Like memories in cold decay!  
__Transmissions echoing away!  
__Far from the world of you and I!  
__Where oceans bleed into the sky…_

_Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up... Let me go…_

_Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up… Let me go…_

_Lift me up… Let me go…  
__Lift me up… Let me go…  
__(And it can't be outfought! It can't be outdone!)  
__(It can't outmatched! It can't be outrun!)  
__(NO!)_

_God bless us, everyone!  
__We're a broken people living under loaded gun!  
__And it can't be outfought! It can't be outdone!  
__It can't be outmatched! It can't be outrun!  
__NO!_

_(Lift me up…) God bless us, everyone!  
(Let me go…) We're a broken people living under loaded gun!  
__(Lift me up…) And it can't be outfought! It can't be outdone!  
__(Let me go…) It can't be outmatched! It can't be outrun!_"

* * *

**Malita's dead. Before you go off at me, there's a reason why I killed her off. …I had no idea what to do with her anymore. I couldn't find somewhere to take her character beyond what happened in Fading Light. I couldn't find a way to fit her in with the rest of the Autobots. I'm having enough of a hard time with Talida! And I knew if I had her go rogue, I'd have to bring her back eventually. And I didn't feel like doing that. This was a last resort. Between you and me, I wasn't a big fan of her character.**

**Oh! Look at this! Here's a promo for the next episode, Tunnel Vision!**

* * *

_Arcee: I'm picking up a locator beacon. The 'Cons have unearthed the relic._

_**Next time in Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**_

_Arcee: Lock and load…_

_Talida: This will be fun._

_Show Arcee racing into gunfire_

_Show Bumblebee's tires screeching_

_Show Arcee narrowly avoid Knock Out's swing_

_Show Insecticons shooting at a track sweeper_

_Show Arcee jumping away from track sweeper_

_Show Bumblebee and Knock Out driving side by side_

_Talida: Why does this always happen to us?!  
_

_Optimus: This is one race we absolutely cannot afford to lose._

_Show Arcee shooting at a target_

_Show Arcee jumping onto track sweeper_

_Show Bumblebee battling an Insecticon_

_Show Arcee and Bumblebee fighting side by side_

_Show Arcee shooting at unknown object_

_Show Jack, Miko and Talida inside track sweeper_

_Show snarling Insecticon_

_Show massive explosion_

_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_

_**More to come soon…**_

_**Only on FanFiction…**_

_Talida: Déjà vu much?_

* * *

**One question! Do you think I should do Triangulation, Triage and Toxicity or just skip right ahead to Hurt?**

**I'll just say this again…**

**MARCH 22, PEOPLE! CIRCLE IT! NOW!**

**BYE!**


	9. Tunnel Vision

**Me: I had a feeling you wouldn't like what I did in the previous chapter. But…it had to be done.**

**Better get the tissues on standby. Because I have to do the REVIEW REPLIES!  
**

**Awesomo3000: (1) **_**:',( No… How could you?! How could you kill off Malita?! I understand your reason why, but HOW COULD YOU?! I liked her! I wanted to see her and Talida get along and help each other in battles with the Cons! And now I won't, cos SHE'S GONE! D',X I now don't see a point in reading this story! But I'm gonna anyway! ***__**cries in a corner**__*****_

**(2) **_***sniifs* Anyway, the hunt for the relics begins. And yes, do write Triangulation, Triage and Toxicity.**_

**Had a feeling that would happen.**

**tfp-fan: **_**you killed off Malita! How could you?! "couldn't find somewhere to take her character"? "couldn't find a way to fit her in with the rest of the Autobots"? there are a TONNE of things you could've done with her character, you idiot! And now she's dead! I've been reading this story for a long time, but now I'm not even gonna bother reading it anymore, now that my favourite character in it is gone!  
**_

**Wheeljack: Well, she ain't gonna miss ya, you worthless lug nut! And you have the guts to call her an idiot! I reckon she's got more common sense then ten of you!  
**

**Me: WHEELJACK! No bullying! It's not worth it! Considering I've been bullied myself at multiple stages of my life!**

**Wheeljack: Which is why I'm not standing by and letting it happen again!**

**Me: Don't make me chain you up until Triage!**

**Wheeljack: Fine.**

**Me: Knew that one would work. Now…where was I with my reviews? Oh. Right.**

**Guest: **_**NOOOOOOOO! YOU KILLED MALITA! I mean, I understand your reasons why, but WHHHHHHYYY?! You HAVE to bring her back somehow! YOU HATE TO! I don't care how, Energon, relic that revives dead people, Primus, ANYTHING! Just BRING! HER! BACK!**_

**I will only say this. Not everyone in my stories stay dead for long… ;)**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Poor Malita. She didn't deserve what happened to her. Oh and I think you should do all three episodes after Tunnel Vision. Update soon!**_

**FINALLY! Someone who supplied the answer to that question!**

**devildog452: **_**Why Malita I liked her and Talida too its not fair**_

**I told you in PM.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**I knew it was Malita, poor thing. I can only imagine how Talida felt about flipping the switch.**_

**She felt sick.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**The episode was funny but, *tears up* I'm sad Malita died. She had wanted to change but never got the chance. *cries* Megatron will pay for this and all his crimes! Please update!**_

**I always update. May take a while. But…**

**VectorSigma101: **_**Aww! Poor Matilda! It's a shame she had to die, but I wasn't a fan of her, either. I think you should skip right to Hurt. **_

**Explains why you keep on misspelling Malita's name. And I actually have plans for Triangulation, Triage and Toxicity.**

**storyreader: **_**(sniffs) Why did Malita have to die? I wanted to see her change and fight alongside Talida and the Autobots! But noooo, you had to kill her off! D,;X**_

_**Anyway, I think you should do the other relic hunt episodes THEN do Hurt.**_

**Plan on it.**

**Anonymous guy: **_**:'( I'm so sad and ANGRY right now! I'm sad Malita's now dead. and I'm angry at Megatron for being the cause of her death and you for choosing to kill her off! You HAVE to bring her back somehow! DO IT!**_

**Take a chill pill and read a previous review reply. And yes. There's a pill for that.**

**Sephiroth 200: (1) **_**by all means follow it as it were. And may Malita rest in peace. Please do the episodes following tunnelvision**_

**I will.**

**(2) **_**I jus thad the craziest idea. Could you possibly have malitas spirit haunt Megatron in his dreams? Also please do triangulation triage and toxicity.**_

**Hmmmmmmmm….**

**r.i.p. Malita: **_**it suchs that she's dead, I liked her. **__** can you maybe write a chapter before Tunnel Vision of Arcee comforting Talida of Malita's death, Talida thinking she's a murderer since she turned off her own cousin's life support and how all she wanted as the change but never got the chance? That would be good or even better, can you bring her back somehow, like Primus senses the goodness in Malita's spark and revives her? That would make me the happiest guy alive!  
**_

**Hmmmmmm…**

**Guest: **_**Dude I'm so cirling it! I understand how oyu have trouble like that with characters. Though I have is Talida Raf's Mom? Thx and love the story!**_

**Fading Light has the answers.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Good chappie! Poor Malita! **__** I hope Megatorn is happy. He didn't deserve to have a daughter!**_

**Exactly.**

**haloangel21: **_**Farewell, Malita. You will be missed…or not. Loved this chapter!**_

**Thanks, halo!**

**Abyss Prime:** _**I think that you should go to Toxicity and then do Hurt.**_

**Your opinion is noted.**

**The Other: **_**We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita; Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.**_

_**Goodbye Malita…**_

**Well said.**

**dx-1118: **_**Well, bye-bye Malita. I guess she was becoming kind off useless. I kinda feel bad for Knockout though. In answer to your question, yes you should write Triangulation, Triage and Toxicity. I have three reasons for this.**_

_**The episodes contains important plot points that influence the rest of the story.**_

_**Skipping over Triage would mean skipping the EPIC fight between Wheeljack and Soundwave.**_

_**Toxicity would be a perfect opportunity for you to sneak in some flashbacks of Bulkhead and Rayna together.**_

_**Can't wait to read Tunnel Vision! Looking forward to lots of action and Jack-x-Miko moments! Update soon! (PS. Since my last review didn't seem to go over well, I apologise again if my reviews are too long or offensive in any way, I really am just trying to help)**_

**Thanks for the reasons.**

**OK. Now I'm going to do a bonus scene first before doing the episode.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**One Way or Another**_** rightfully belongs to Blondie and their respective record label.**

**Oh! There's gonna be a bonus sneak peak for the next story at the end of this chapter. It's going to be called **_**Talida Prime: Fading Sun**_**.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"Hey, Cliff. Long time, no see, huh?" Talida joked, although she didn't feel happy.

It's been a few hours now since the whole incident involving her family and the Nemesis. A few hours since she had to save the Decepticons from stasis. A few hours since she had to turn off the machines on her cousin, Malita.

They had created a shrine for her in the desert not far from either the Autobot base or Shanahan's grave. After the creation of the shrine, Talida had runaway from the base, unable to handle how everyone – especially Optimus – could move on as though nothing has happened. Sure. They had a situation in their hands concerning the four coordinates of the four Iacon relics buried on Earth. But it had been so long since she was able to grieve the loss of her friends and family. She hadn't truly had time to herself since Optimus' bout of amnesia.

"As you probably know, everything's been different now," Talida laughed slightly.

"Figured I'd find you here."

Quickly, Talida whirled around and saw Arcee and Miko standing behind her worriedly.

"Oh. Hey, guys," Talida sighed as she sat on the rocky ground, her feet dangling over the edge of the cliff.

"You OK, Tally?" Miko asked worriedly.

"Considering a few hours ago, I just turned off the life machines for my cousin, I'm splendid, Miko," Talida answered sarcastically.

"You're angry," Arcee observed.

"Of course I'm angry, Arcee! I basically just turned into everybody that I despise!" Talida snapped, "I turned into a murderer! I killed my cousin out of cold blood! Malita could've been saved! But now, she's in a pine box! Because I couldn't save her! And now, all I want is to see Megatron fade to gunmetal grey!"

"There was nothing that could have been done, Tally," Miko objected, "Ratchet said so himself. Megatron beat her up pretty good."

"When you see a loved one die like that, you tend to feel that way," Arcee remarked.

"I was seven when he died," Miko whispered, immediately earning everybody's attention, "I wasn't always the loud, reckless, boyish Japanese girl you see everyday. Once, I was quiet, girly and reserved. I once had a brother named Max. He was five years older then me. We were like Jack and Tally. Two peas in a pod. We did everything together. Then…we got into a bad car accident in Tokyo. Grandma Nakadai died upon impact. Max was left on life support because of me. When he saw the car coming, he immediately covered my body with his own. Father was left with a few fractured ribs. Mother with a depressed skull fracture. Me with a broken arm. Max had internal bleeding and multiple broken bones. Four weeks later, doctors decreed that he was brain dead and had no chance. That the best thing to do for him would be to turn off the machines. Everybody was in the room. Father and mother dragged me in. They made me flip the switch. I was seven years old and I killed Maxie. I blamed myself for months. Then he came to me in a dream. Saying that it wasn't my fault that he died. That had he been given the chance to save me, he would do it over and over again. So…I moved on. I became everything he wanted to be. Play guitar. Dress in these clothes. Get the highlights. Basically, I changed everything I was just so I could keep Max alive."

"I never knew that," Talida said.

"You're the first person I told. Not even Jack knows about Max," Miko confessed, "So, I know how you feel, Tally."

"When your Grandma and Grandpa Pax died, Tally, all Optimus was able to see was red. Granted, I didn't find out about this until Rayna told me after a mission. All Optimus wanted was revenge. Pit. He even went to Kaon and took on Megatron all by himself. By the time I got there, Megatron was almost dead. Optimus noticed me standing there and he just…stopped fighting Megatron. It was like he realized what he had to lose. All he cared about was protecting me. That's something you and I had to think about last time we fought Airachnid. What do we have to lose?" Arcee asked rhetorically.

"We should go home," Talida sighed, "We do have relics to hunt down."

With those words said, Arcee transformed into her vehicle mode and Miko and Talida climbed on. There was no denying that over time, Miko and Talida became closer. Especially after Miko started dating Jack and the whole incident with Optimus' amnesia. They balanced each other out. And they enjoyed that.

"So…what were Bulkhead and Rayna like?" Miko asked randomly as Arcee pulled out.

"Boy. Where do I begin?" Arcee mused.

There was a figure that watched them drive away. She held the familiar red eyes. But she was somewhat weakened from the injuries she had received recently. Neither of them knew that they were being watched. But they would know her name.

It was Malita.

* * *

**Happy? Now ON TO THE ACTUAL STORY!**

* * *

"_One way or another, I'm gonna find ya.  
__I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha.  
__One way or another, I'm gonna win ya.  
__I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha.  
__One way, or another, I'm gonna see ya.  
__I'm gonna meetcha, meetcha, meetcha, meetcha.  
__One day, maybe next week.  
__I'm gonna meetcha. I'm gonna meetcha. I'll meetcha._

_I will drive past your house…  
__And if the lights are all down…  
__I'll see who's around…_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_It now appears the ship possess a will of its own!" Malita cried._

"_It also seems to be doing a better job of decoding the Project Iacon database then we were," Knock Out said after Soundwave brought the subject to notice._

"_Regain control of this vessel by any means necessary!" Megatron snarled dangerously._

"_This could be our only chance to slip aboard and download the Iacon database," Jack pointed out before asking, "Why is the ship heading for Manhattan?"_

"_The Iacon Relics landed on Earth eons ago. Long before the city was built atop it," Ratchet explained._

"_Agent Fowler!" Jack cried after Fowler was shocked and fell to the ground unconscious before exclaiming in disbelief, "That's all that's been downloaded?!"  
_

"_RUN FOR IT!" Miko screamed, "Come on! Here's our ride!"_

"_Malita!" Talida cried as she raced towards her fallen cousin._

"_I can only keep her alive for so long," Ratchet sighed gravely._

"_When I swore that I would save Malita from Megatron, this isn't how I pictured it," Talida whispered sadly._

"_I regret to inform you that not only is Malita no longer on this ship, She is no longer with us," Dreadwing announced sadly._

"_The download of the Iacon database may have been incomplete. But we now possess four sets of coordinates decoded by the ship," Ratchet announced._

"_We have to act fast," Talida immediately said, "Megatron knows about this too."_

"_He will not hesitate to obtain the potential doomsday devices which lie at the site of each," Optimus rumbled dangerously._

"If we are to have any hope of recovering the Iacon relics before the Decepticons do, we must divide our resources," Optimus proclaimed.

"Divide?!" Talida repeated in disbelief.

"But, Optimus! When it comes to numbers, we're already at a great disadvantage!" Ratchet objected.

"Under the circumstances, swiftness of action is paramount. This is one race that we absolutely cannot afford to lose," Optimus rumbled.

"Déjà vu much?" Talida muttered quietly.

* * *

"Dispatching multiple squadrons will allow us to pursue all four relics simultaneously," Megatron decreed.

"Lord Megatron, I've assembled the mining detail you've requested for the first set of coordinates. Breakdown, Malita and I enjoyed previous success in retrieving Iacon relics. In memory of my fallen friend and love, I intend to do the same again," Knock Out decreed after walking into the room with a handful of Vehicons.

"This is a mission. Not one of your racing excursions. Stop preening! Move quickly and operate with a surgeon's skill! Do you understand me, Knock Out?!" Megatron snapped.

"Explicitly, Lord Megatron," Knock Out stuttered nervously.

"Now, since the unfortunate losses of Breakdown and Malita left you rather vulnerable, you will require appropriate support," Megatron pointed out.

After hearing the sounds of approaching feet, Knock Out turned around. When he did, he felt as though he had leaked a little more transmission fluid. Because when he turned around…

He saw an Insecticon.

"How very repellant," Knock Out muttered.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_One way or another, I'm gonna find ya!  
I'm gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha!  
__One way or another, I'm gonna win ya!  
__I'll getcha! I'll getcha!  
__One way or another, I'm gonna see ya!  
__I'm gonna meetcha, meetcha, meetcha, meetcha!  
__One day, maybe next week!  
__I'm gonna meetcha! I'll metcha!_

_And if the lights are all out…  
__I'll follow your bus downtown…  
__See who's hanging out…_"

"Here's a twist. It would appear that the Decepticons have retreated from Manhattan," Ratchet observed.

"They just up and left?" Arcee repeated in disbelief.

"It is more likely that Megatron has already set course for the second set of coordinates, having dispatched a unit to this relic's underground location," Optimus stated.

"Or he has the same idea that we've got with the simultaneous approach," Talida suggested with a shrug, "It can happen."

"Without blasting up a city block to get to it?!" Arcee said in disbelief.

"They used subways tunnels," Jack said, causing all eyes to be on him, "New York has a whole network of them running beneath the city."

"They travel all over New York. From Times Square to even to the Brooklyn Bridge," Talida piped in.

"Since the New York population no longer seems to be threatened, maintaining our disguise will be necessary," Optimus stated, "Arcee, Bumblebee, you are the best choice for navigating such a densely populated area."

"Optimus, New York has more then eight million people. The odds of being spotted by at least one of them are pretty high. Even if they are heading underground," Jack warned.

"Where are you going with this?" Arcee asked.

"You're gonna need a face man," Jack answered, before elaborating at Optimus' confused expression, "Well, someone who can speak on their behalf. A human who can run interference if their cover gets blown."

"Well, I've actually been in subway stations," Miko pointed out as she stepped forward, "I grew up in a major metropolis. Unlike Mr. 'I've-Never-Been-Outside-Jasper-Nevada'."

"I have been to Cybertron," Jack reminded her with a slight smirk.

"Cybertron doesn't have subways!" Miko objected before asking meekly, "Do they?"

"Uh…," Jack, Arcee and Talida trailed off nervously.

"Please tell me that you didn't blow up the entire monorail system while you were on Cybertron," Ratchet pleaded.

"Not exactly," Arcee muttered weakly.

"The tracks were in the same condition they were before the exodus," Jack quickly reassured, "Albeit some damage from erosion and all that stuff."

"Can't exactly say the same for the monorail itself," Talida squeaked.

"YOU BLEW UP A MONORAIL?!" Ratchet exclaimed in disbelief.

"WE RAN OUT OF TRACK!" Arcee, Jack and Talida cried out in defense.

"Yeah. Jack can be a face man and Miko can navigate through subway tunnels. But how many of you lot have been to New York?" Talida retaliated dryly, earning silence from the two of them, "Sure. All of those are important. But you're useless if you can't navigate through the actual city. I've been to New York multiple times. So I know the area pretty well. Heck. That's where I had Raf."

"Agent Fowler's field experience makes him our best candidate," Optimus reminded everyone.

"Blaaanana fish!" Fowler cried from his position on the bed.

"And there's why he isn't," Talida stated dryly.

"If he weren't recovering from his encounter with the Decepticon warship," Ratchet added.

"Which we survived without incident!" Miko boasted proudly.

"There was one," Talida muttered, causing Miko to shut up.

"That wasn't your fault, Tally," Miko reminded her, "There's nothing you could have done."

"Very well. Jack, Miko and Talida will accompany Arcee and Bumblebee," Optimus decided.

"YES!" Miko and Talida cheered.

"Initiate transport. Triangulate coordinates of the other three relics," Optimus instructed.

"I'm just bummed about something," Talida sulked slightly.

"You're going to New York without seeing a show on Broadway?" Jack guessed.

"You and I both know that it's impossible," Talida pointed out.

* * *

No words were said after that. With the seriousness of the race, it was straight down to business. Jack and Talida climbed on Arcee while Miko climbed into Bumblebee. Ratchet activated the GroundBridge and the five of them left. They arrived in an alleyway that led out onto the main street. Around them, they saw many buildings and people in the streets of Manhattan. Heck. Talida could have sworn she saw a building that looked like Stark Towers from the _Iron Man_ films.

"Whoa," Jack breathed.

"Of course it's no Cybertron," Miko grumbled.

"It's busier then I remember," Talida observed.

"Alright, face. How do we get underground?" Arcee asked.

"Well, you can't just jump the turnstiles and hope no one notices," Jack stated dryly.

_HONK! HONK!_

"Check it out! Construction! Effective life in the big city!" Miko crowed.

"Or there's that," Talida shrugged, "Let's go in."

* * *

They did enter the subway tunnels via the construction site. Once inside, Arcee and Bumblebee were able to transform into their bipedal modes and walk freely. Jack, Miko and Talida, being their guides, walked a few feet ahead of the two. Consistently, they would turn around to check on their Autobot companions. They were relieved that they turned around for the checkup when they did. Because Bumblebee was about to walk onto the cackling third rail.

"Bumblebee, watch out!" Talida warned as she dove between the rail and Bumblebee's foot, creating a shield between them.

"Lida!" Jack cried in surprise as he grasped her hips and shoulders to keep her stable. It was almost a lover's embrace, despite them being half-siblings. Quickly, Jack warned Bumblebee, "Bumblebee, don't move!"

"**Why?**" Bumblebee whirred in confusion.

"The third rail carries electricity to power the subway trains," Talida clarified.

"One touch and zap! You're fried," Miko piped in before turning to Jack and Talida, "Uh, Jack. You can lift her up now."

"Oh. Right," Jack and Talida stuttered nervously as Bumblebee removed his foot and Jack pulled her upright.

"Well, this is awkward," Talida muttered.

"This doesn't even top the list for you two. Considering that you kissed," Arcee pointed out.

"Would you let that go?!" Jack and Talida hissed.

"You must have learned about that on TV or something," Miko shrugged as they watched Bumblebee dance around to avoid the third rail.

"Actually, we learned about that in school," Talida corrected, "You would know if you spent less time in detention."

"Shut up, Prime," Miko sing-songed.

"You love me, Nakadai," Talida smirked.

* * *

Once the drill backed out of the wall in the subway, the Vehicons went to work. Knock Out supervised as two of the drones walked into the cavern they had made to retrieve the relic.

"Could we please pick up the pace?! The humidity down here is threatening to erode my undercarriage!" Knock Out whined, earning snarls from the Insecticon, "Must you hover?!"

* * *

If Knock Out wasn't happy about the situation before, he certainly won't be now. Especially when he hears of how close the Autobots are to their location.

"We getting any closer?" Jack asked.

"Triangulating the coordinates is one thing. But figuring out how to reach them is another," Arcee answered.

Bumblebee froze when he heard the familiar sounds of metal grinding against metal. Kneeling in front of a vent, he looked into the dark depths, wondering where such a sound could be coming from. While he saw the construction equipment and knew that there was some sort of constructions going on in the subway tunnels, he still found the sound to be odd. That caused Arcee, Jack, Talida and Miko to approach him.

"Drilling!" Arcee observed.

"It's coming from this way!" Miko decreed as she began running down the vent.

"Miko!" Jack and Talida called as they took off running after her.

"Miko! What is your?!" Jack began asking as they finally caught up with her.

"Hold it right there!"

"Oh scrap," Talida muttered.

They turned around and saw a man standing behind a sweeper train with the regulation orange vest with vibrant yellow stripes and a megaphone near his mouth.

"What are you kids doing down here?" he asked as he approached them.

"We're…on a field trip," Miko lied, "With our school! But we got lost!"

"Oh really?" the man said dryly.

"We told him we should stay with our group! But Leonard here insisted we search for fossils!" Talida continued on the lie.

"Don't try to blame it all on me, Eloise!" Jack smirked at the aspect of calling his half-sister the name she just happened to hate the most. **(AN: Sorry if I offended anyone named Eloise! I just pulled the name out of a hat!)**

"I wanna go home. Can you help us, Mr…?" Miko trailed off when she realized that they never learned his name.

"Vogel," Vogel clarified, "But you can call me Vogel."

"That's redundant," Talida muttered to Jack.

"So…you ever ride a sweeper train?" Vogel asked.

When they heard footsteps, Jack, Talida and Miko turned around to see Arcee and Bumblebee approaching them through the vent, somehow managing to fit through the small hole. When he saw the confused facial expressions, Jack only said one word,

"Face."

Jack, Talida and Miko climbed onto the sweeper train with Vogel and sped away. However, the three of them soon found themselves getting bored with all the rambling Vogel was doing about a particular topic.

"And this section was added in the '30s as part of a public works project," Vogel was explaining to the three teenagers.

"Fascinating," Miko sighed in a bored manner.

"These old tunnels have a dark side too. Strange creatures have been said to lurk down here. Giant snakes, albino alligators, even mole men," Vogel smirked.

"But they are just people who live down here because they have no place else to go, right?" Jack guessed.

"That's what the media wants you to believe. But I say they're from outer space," Vogel objected, causing Jack, Talida and Miko to look at each other in confusion, "I'm telling you. Area 51 has got nothing on this place. The aliens are down here building up their army. Plotting to use us humans as slave labor."

Quietly, the three teenagers began to sneak away from the driver's section of the train. Opening the back door, they jumped out of the sweeper train onto the track. Once they were outside, Talida had a hard time stifling her laughter.

"If only he knew," Talida laughed.

"What? That he was riding a sweeper train with someone who was raised by aliens and is part-alien herself?" Jack guessed.

"I would love to see his face if he met Arcee and Bumblebee down here!" Talida cackled.

"Take a deep breath, Tally," Miko chuckled.

"Although, even I'll admit, I'd pay to see that," Jack shrugged.

* * *

"I'm picking up a locator beacon. The 'Cons have unearthed the relic," Arcee decreed.

They raced deeper into the subway tunnels, coming closer to the source of the drilling. Immediately, Arcee and Bumblebee unfolded their respective weapons. They didn't know who to expect to see round the bend of the subway tunnel. However, when she leant out for a better look, Arcee got a good idea of what to expect.

Insecticon trouble.

And Knock Out.

"Well? Let me see it already!" Knock Out requested impatiently as he shoved the Insecticon out of the way.

"Lock and load," Arcee muttered with a slight smirk.

When she heard snarling above her, she immediately knew what it meant. Insecticon. Quickly, Arcee and Bumblebee dove away to avoid the attack. Together, Arcee and Bumblebee began firing their shots at the Insecticon. Ignoring Arcee for the time being, the Insecticon went to take care of Bumblebee. He almost did with his shots that would be near fatal for the Autobots. Thinking quickly on his feet like the scout he is, Bumblebee dove out of the way and stood next to Arcee. They never ceased fire. Even as the Insecticon came closer to them and fired a few shots of its own.

Hearing the commotion, Knock Out stepped out of the cavern where the container with the Iacon relic was hidden. The Vehicons stepped out with him. At first, Knock Out was going to question what was going on. Then he saw Bumblebee get knocked into the wall by the Insecticon, he knew what was happening.

"Attack already!" Knock Out snapped impatiently.

"I'll get the relic!" Arcee decided as she approached Knock Out.

It didn't take long for Arcee to take care of the three Vehicons who stood in her way. With the last Vehicon, she even went as far as decapitating it, watching in slight pleasure as the head bounced across the tracks. However, she didn't account for Knock Out being behind her until he attacked her lightly with one of his saws. And by lightly, he knocked her down roughly to the ground with the saw.

"You have lovely features. Even after giving birth to that runt of yours. Perfect for a little painful procedure I call the Nip and Tuck!" Knock Out smirked as he lunged for Arcee.

Arcee barely dodged the approaching saw. Taking Knock Out's surprise to her advantage, she jumped behind him and kicked his back, sending him flying.

"Dodge and kick," Arcee retorted, "And that was for calling my son a runt!"

Without stopping to think about it, she made for the cavern Knock Out made. Immediately, she grasped the container in her hands and made to remove it. However, it was easier said then done, as the container wouldn't budge from its burrow.

After grasping an overhead light hard enough to cause it to flicker, the Insecticon continued its attack on Bumblebee. Despite being able to return fire and defend himself from some of the attacks, Bumblebee couldn't count the amount of times he would end up on the ground and close to touching that third rail once again. However, that was one of the things with Insecticons that the Autobots hated. They wouldn't stop until their target was down for the count.

Permanently.

Arcee continued her struggle with removing the container from its tight burrow. She wasn't going to stop until the container was free and out of Decepticon reach. Suddenly, she felt electricity coursing through her and screamed in pain, falling to the ground as she clutched her side. Knock Out stood over her with a smirk as he twirled the Energon prod in his hands.

"Shock and drop," Knock Out shrugged.

* * *

"Er…where are we?" Talida asked as they reached a fork in the tunnel.

"Good question," Jack shrugged.

"This way," Miko suggested as she took off running down the right tunnel.

"I'll stand back and give you room to talk," Talida promised.

"How do you know?!" Jack called as he ran after his girlfriend, quickly glancing at sister with a facial expression that showed his gratitude, "Miko! Let's think this through!"

"Why? 'Cause you think I don't know what I'm doing?!" Miko snapped, "I'm Jack! Optimus picked me to go to Cybertron! I must know everything!"

Jack struggled to laugh as he finally figured out what was really going on here, "OK, Miko. Seriously? If that's what's bugging you, how come you never said anything before?!"

"I've been holding it in," Miko shrugged as she turned away from her boyfriend.

"Since when do you hold anything in? I'm your boyfriend, remember? I know you. Inside and out," Jack reminded her, "Couples don't keep secrets from each other. Look. It's not like you don't contribute to anything. Just yesterday, you helped take down a massive Decepticon warship! You made Lida realize that Malita's death wasn't her fault when she wouldn't even listen to me! How did you do that, anyway?"

"Let's just say we bonded over personal experiences," Miko answered mysteriously.

"Anything I should know about?" Jack asked worriedly as he pulled her closer.

"Something I'll tell you when I'm ready," Miko promised as she gave him a chaste kiss.

"OK. When I said I would stand back and give you space, this isn't what I meant," Talida said as she stepped forward out of the shadows, "And seriously, Jack? You and Miko…you know…"

"Which one of us has a son?" Jack retaliated, causing Talida to shut up.

"Lost, huh?"

"Oh no," Jack, Talida and Miko muttered.

"You three are gonna have to explain yourselves to the New York Transit Authority!" Vogel decreed as he caught up with them.

"I think we should tell him the truth," Talida sighed.

"Right. The truth is…we lost our dog," Jack lied.

"You're wasting your breath," Vogel said.

"The real truth," Miko corrected.

"We are trying to prevent aliens from digging up an ancient relic from another planet. They're gonna use it to destroy this world," Talida confessed.

"I swore I heard something weird and high-pitched earlier today!" Vogel exclaimed, "Something that wasn't the crew drilling over on track five!"

* * *

Bumblebee was in slight pain as the Insecticon drag him across the track. Naturally, the pain didn't stop until he was placed next to the unconscious Arcee. That was where the Insecticon just simply tossed him away as though he was scrap. The blow from the landing was enough to knock Bumblebee unconscious. Having successfully retrieved the container, Knock Out smirked to himself. Decepticons: one. Autobots: zero.

"Now, shall we see precisely what you are and what you do?" Knock Out asked as he removed the lid and retrieved the watch-like relic and glanced at Bumblebee, "And what better way to learn your power then to conduct an onsite experiment?"

As Knock Out came closer to Bumblebee, he didn't hear the sound of the train approaching. He didn't see or hear how the sweeper train with Vogel, Jack, Talida and Miko inside was approaching the scene.

"Mole men!" Vogel gasped, "Metal ones!"

"Actually, Decepticons," Miko corrected weakly.

"And they have Arcee and Bumblebee!" Jack cried.

"Can this thing go up another gear?!" Talida asked impatiently, "That's my stepmother and fiancé right there!"

"Abso-fricking-lutely!" Vogel answered eagerly as he switched gears.

Knock Out looked up in horror, finally noticing the approaching train. Immediately, the Insecticon flew out of the way to avoid getting run over. Knock Out, however, wasn't as lucky as he was hit. He screamed in pain as he was caught between the train and the wall as the sweeper train sped past him. When the train was gone, Knock Out fell to the ground, covered in scrapes and bruises.

"HEY! WATCH THE FINISH!" Knock Out called after them.

Immediately, the Insecticon began firing Energon blasts at the retreated train. One of the shots hit the track just under the yellow sweeper train. The other shot hit the wall next to it. However, the Insecticon was still satisfied with his shots. Arcee and Bumblebee, having come to and witnessed the whole thing, immediately began firing their own shots at the Insecticon and Knock Out.

"Hate to run! But I just missed my train!" Knock Out smirked as he ran off.

"Follow the relic! I'll grab Jack, Miko and Tally!" Arcee immediately instructed, her maternal instincts grappling her.

As Bumblebee drove away, Arcee began dancing around the tracks, avoiding the shots fired from the Insecticon while returning some shots of her own. Eventually, she transformed into her vehicular mode and raced away with the Insecticon flying after her.

* * *

"Not good!" Vogel exclaimed as they met another problem, "Break line must have been torched!"

"We can't stop?!" Jack repeated in disbelief.

"Déjà vu much?!" Talida asked rhetorically.

"No big deal. These tracks go around for miles. Right, Vogel?" Miko asked nervously.

"Not this one!" Vogel objected as he looked down and saw that they were approaching the end of the track.

"This track dead ends?! As in crash and burn?!" Jack surmised nervously.

"I'm really starting to hate trains!" Miko screeched.

"Why does this keep happening?!" Talida asked rhetorically, "Why does Primus hate us?!"

They cried out in surprise when they heard a thud on the roof of the train. Immediately, Jack, Talida and Miko glanced behind them and saw Arcee's torso.

"What was that?!" Vogel demanded before seeing Arcee and grabbing the axe, "WELCOME TO EARTH!"

"Vogel, no!" Jack yelled as he, Talida and Miko dove between Vogel and Arcee.

"You hit my stepmother, you deal with me!" Talida threatened.

"She's one of the good guys!" Miko cried, causing Vogel to relax.

"Arcee, the breaks are shot!" Jack told Arcee.

"Is there any kind of emergency override?" Arcee asked.

"No, ma'am. But there is a switch track control up ahead if you could just adjust the pull rod," Vogel answered, causing Arcee to look at him in confusion, "You'll know it when you see it! It'll switch us to another line!"

Without saying another word, Arcee jumped off and transformed into her motorcycle form. If Vogel wasn't amazed before, she certainly was now.

"Did she just turn into a motorcycle?" Vogel inquired in amazement.

They watched as Arcee raced ahead of them towards the switch track control. Then, they heard the familiar roar of trouble. Looking behind them, Vogel, Jack, Talida and Miko saw the Insecticon approaching them ready to cause chaos.

"And that would be…?" Vogel trailed off.

"Trouble," Jack clarified.

"I hate these things," Talida grumbled.

"We know," Jack and Miko chorused.

* * *

"Well, well… Look who got his treads back," Knock Out smirked as he saw Bumblebee give chase.

Knock Out immediately gained speed, unwilling to lose this relic to Bumblebee. He even went as far as switching tracks when he had the opportunity to do so. Naturally, Bumblebee switched gears and tracks to continue the chase.

* * *

In another tunnel, Arcee, Vogel, Jack, Talida and Miko were chasing a different enemy: time. The Insecticon was chasing them. There appeared to be no hope. Quickly, Arcee transformed into her bipedal mode and tried to pull the switch. However, the tracks wouldn't budge. Seeing the track come closer, she wouldn't give up. Besides…

She didn't want to deal with Optimus if his baby girl died.

The situation became worse as the handle for the track switch snapped off.

"Scrap!" Arcee cursed.

"Uh-oh!" Vogel cringed.

Immediately, Arcee jumped down onto the track and began kicking at it. Doing this meant that she risked getting run over by the train herself if she didn't switch the tracks in time. With one final kick, she heard the cackle of the electricity from the third rail as the tracks switched and the train followed it. Arcee relaxed in relief. Her family was safe.

"Yes!" Jack yelled as he wrapped his arms around Miko's waist and spun her around.

"Alright!" Vogel sighed in relief as he and Talida hi-fived one another.

"Su-weet!" Miko cheered as she gave Jack a kiss that rendered them breathless.

"Hey! If you're gonna do stuff like that, get your own train!" Talida joked with a laugh.

* * *

Arcee perked up in worry when she heard the familiar high-pitched squeal. Turning around, she saw the Insecticon rapidly approaching her for the kill. Instantly, she began to regret the mere moments she forgot about the Insecticon. However, what's done is done. Now, she just had to survive this round of the fight.

"Tally's right. You are annoying," Arcee remarked as she flipped out of the way.

She watched the way the Insecticon crashed into the wall, unable to move away. While he wasn't off lined by the impact, his wings were ripped from his body. This gave Arcee a slight advantage. Without him being airborne, she could land more attacks on him.

Looking down, she saw that she was straddling the third line Bumblebee almost stood on. She remembered what Jack, Talida and Miko had said before. If any of them stood on the third rail, the electrical shocks would be enough to offline them. That gave her some ideas concerning the Insecticon she was fighting. It was perfect.

She just had to lure the Insecticon into the trap.

"Come to mama," Arcee encouraged while thinking to herself, '_Well, that just felt wrong…_'

Slowly, the Insecticon stepped closer, still not taking the bait. Arcee jumped around the track, firing multiple shots at the Insecticon. She wasn't going to stop until she forced the Insecticon to step onto that cackling third rail. Diving after her, the Insecticon ended up landing on the third rail.

Arcee took slight pleasure in watch the Insecticon scream and writhe around in pain as the electricity coursed through him. It was powerful enough to kill him. Just as Jack, Talida and Miko promised.

"Shock and drop," Arcee smirked.

That was one situation down. Now, she had to make sure that Vogel, Jack, Talida and Miko were safe.

* * *

After deliberately bumping into the Astin Martin a few times, Bumblebee managed to successfully cause Knock Out to lose control in his vehicle mode. Transforming into his bipedal mode, he grabbed the red sports car by its front bumper and threw the Decepticon scientist across the train tracks. Knock Out managed to transform into his bipedal mode in time for the rough landing. However, it caused him to let go of the relic, which bounced across the track.

Snarling, Knock Out looked up and saw Bumblebee racing towards the relic. Unwilling to let that happen, he joined the race. The two of them were shoving each other, trying to throw one another off course.

* * *

"We are in the clear," Miko sighed in relief.

"I wouldn't say that just yet," Talida warned.

"She's right. We still need a way to stop. Besides slamming into a wall, I mean," Vogel pointed out.

"It's official. Trains hate us," Jack remarked.

"Cybertron's worse than this," Talida retorted, "By a long shot!"

"True," Jack shrugged.

His half-sister was right. Nothing can beat Cybertron danger-wise.

* * *

"Give me that!" Knock Out snarled after Bumblebee dove for the relic.

The scrimmage between the two caused them both to lose grip of the relic, which began to hum and glow a brilliant blue, signifying that it had been activated. Knock Out proceeded to drag Bumblebee down the tracks away from the relic. There was one thing for certain. Megatron will peal his paint if he didn't get the relic. And a few scratches on his finish and the eroding undercarriage was enough for one day, Knock Out deemed.

Knock Out cried out in surprise when Bumblebee lifted his foot and kicked him away. To their surprise, the relic seemed to float into the air before attaching itself to Bumblebee's wrist. Bumblebee stood up and glanced down at his wrist in confusion.

What was going on here?

Then he heard the familiar sounds of an approaching train.

Vogel, Jack, Talida and Miko watched in horror as Bumblebee stood in the middle of the tracks not moving. Didn't he see them?!

"WATCH OUT!" Jack called.

"BUMBLEBEE!" Miko cried.

"NO!" Talida screamed as Jack, Talida and Miko shielded each other.

Finally hearing their cries, Bumblebee turned around and raised his hands in defense. Not that it would do much to protect him from the impact. However, to everyone's surprise…he didn't feel the impact. Instead, the train just drove through him! Immediately, Bumblebee glanced at his wrist in amazement. What is this device?

Knock Out wasn't as lucky. He was knocked down by the train and was dragged along the track chassis down by it. It actually became their savior as the sweeper train gradually slowed to a stop. However, Knock Out suffered some cosmetic damage as a consequence.

"Bumblebee!" Talida cried in relief as she jumped out of the train by the window, "Are you alright?!"

"**I'm fine, honey,**" Bumblebee immediately reassured her.

"Dude!" Miko cheered as she, Jack and Vogel followed Talida out.

"How did you not get mashed?" Jack asked as Arcee joined them and examined the relic on Bumblebee's wrist.

"Phase shifter. Handy when you need to pass through solid objects or vice versa," Arcee clarified.

Knock Out groaned at the pain coursing through him as he struggled to stand. Glancing into the broken front window of the sweeper train, he surveyed the damage. His entire face was scratched up. And his finish had multiple scratches. Knock Out was the complete opposite of his glamorous self.

"No!" Knock Out gasped, "NO! You scratch my face! I scratch yours!"

However, when Arcee and Bumblebee unfolded their blasters and Talida unsheathed her Energy Sword, Knock Out decided against his intentions. With one final growl of frustration, he transformed into his vehicular form and made a hasty retreat. During his retreat, he lost one of his tires, showing the Autobots and their friends just the amount of damage the sweeper train did to him.

"He knows. Do we have to take him with us?" Jack asked Arcee and Bumblebee, referring to Vogel.

"To the mothership?!" Vogel gasped excitedly.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Talida questioned Miko.

"Got your phone on ya?" Miko wanted to know.

"Don't go anywhere without it," Talida smirked as she removed the white flip phone from her belt.

* * *

"That's right, soldier!" Fowler encouraged, "Dump that rock and come on home!"

Once Fowler was fully recovered from his encounter aboard the Nemesis, something he immediately did was monitor the communications for Bulkhead. However, he was disrupted from his job by the sound of his phone ringing.

"Fowler," Fowler answered the call without checking the caller id, "Miko, what is it?! What in the Sam hill?! I'm in the middle of a crisis here! And you want me to… Uh… Put him on the line."

* * *

Smirking, Miko removed Talida's phone from her ear and handed it to Vogel. Confused, yet excited, Vogel accepted the phone and brought it up to his ear.

"_Mr. Vogel, this is Agent William Fowler of the United States Government. You are hereby deputized as an honorary agent for the Department of, er…Interstellar Relations._"

"Thank you, sir," Vogel thanked as he handed the phone back to Talida, "So…you folks will be in touch?"

"Abso-fricking-lutely," Miko and Talida chorused with a smirk.

"But until then, we need to maintain complete radio silence," Arcee said to Vogel.

"It's been an honor," Vogel gushed as he gave Arcee and Bumblebee a salute.

The two Autobots saluted back before the five of them walked away from Vogel. Jack raced up to Miko and Talida and got between them, slinging his arms around their shoulders.

"Good call, face," Jack complimented.

"You call us face one more time, I will deck you. I'm still to get you back for the Eloise bit," Talida warned.

"Payback for Leonard," Jack shrugged as he planted a kiss on Miko's temple.

"God. If you guys keep on getting cozy like that, I may have to join Dad in the Antarctic," Talida cringed.

"I just know city people…who spend way too much time underground," Miko shuddered, causing Jack and Talida to laugh slightly.

"One relic down. Three to go," Arcee decreed.

"Autobots: one. Decepticons: zero," Talida smirked, "I quite like the odds, Arcee."

"Let's hope the others are having similar results," Arcee remarked as she and Bumblebee transformed.

Once Miko had climbed into Bumblebee and Jack and Talida climbed onto Arcee, the five of them sped away to find an exit from the subway tunnel network. Behind them, Vogel watched in amazement at the sight he just witnessed. This was something he'd never forget. No matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't forget this day that turned from an ordinary day on the job to something worthwhile.

"Robots who turn into vehicles," Vogel mused.

Humming in contemplating, he glanced at the damaged sweeper train behind him that is supposed to be in his car.

Is his sweeper train a robot in disguise?

"_One way or another, I'm gonna lose ya.  
__I'm gonna give you the slip. A slip of the lip or another.  
__I'm gonna lose ya. I'm gonna trick ya. I'll trick ya.  
__One way or another, I'm gonna lose ya.  
__I'm gonna trick ya, trick ya, trick ya, trick ya.  
__One way or another, I'm gonna lose ya.  
__I'm gonna give you the slip._

_I'll walk down the mall.  
__Stand over by the wall.  
__Where I can see it all.  
__Find out who ya call.  
__Lead you to the supermarket checkout.  
__Some specials and rat food, get lost in the crowd._

_One way or another, I'm gonna getcha!  
I'll getcha! I'll getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha!  
(Where I can see it all… Find out who ya call…)_

_One way or another, I'm gonna getcha!  
__I'll getcha! I'll getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha!  
__(Where I can see it all… Find out who ya call…)_

_One way or another, I'm gonna getcha!  
I'll getcha! I'll getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha!  
(Where I can see it all… Find out who ya call…)_"

* * *

**To answer Vogel's question…NAH!**

**Promo number one is on the way!**

* * *

_Optimus: I cannot allow you to leave here with this relic!_

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Dreadwing: I will leave your lifeless husk in this frozen waste._

_**Show Optimus avoiding Dreadwing's fire**_

_Starscream: Let us reclaim what is rightfully ours._

_**Show Optimus and Starscream fighting**_

_**Show Optimus throwing Dreadwing's bomb away**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

_Optimus: My family has nothing to do with this._

* * *

**Glad I'm doing this one. That last promo was a little short. Here's the promo for the next story in the series. Just a heads up: nothing's definite yet. I wanna see where I'm gonna go with Rising Storms. But still. Might give ya something.**

**Spoilers for:**

**The rest of this story**

**The rest of season 2 (for those who haven't seen it yet)**

**The beginning of season 3 (Singapore got it before us and it's on YouTube)**

**Title: **_**Talida Prime: Fading Suns**_

**Summary: Following the Decepticon takeover of Jasper, Nevada and the destruction of their base, the Autobots are scattered to the winds. Team Prime struggles to survive and reunite to take down Megatron's new fortress and the stronger forces that fight alongside the brutal warlord. As new Cybertronians – both Decepticon and Autobot – emerge from across the galaxy, they all have to wonder. Is everyone even still alive? Will Optimus survive the aftermath? Can Talida and Smokescreen step up to become the leaders they desperately need, track down the others and take down Megatron once and for all? And with the war already causing them to lose so much, what will they have to sacrifice to reach the end of millennium?**

**Begins: Immediately after the end of Rising Storms.**

**Rating: T for the time being pending on the amount of violence in the season**

**Pairings: Optimus/Arcee, Jack/Miko, Bumblebee/OC, Bulkhead/OC (- MASSIVE HINT!), slight Knock Out/OC**

**One-shot or multi-chapter: What do you guys think it's going to be? MULTI-CHAPTER! DUH!**

**LEGGO!**

* * *

_Starscream: This is the dawning of a new age. The reign of Megatron…_

_**Show the Autobot base being destroyed**_

_**Show Optimus in a weakened state**_

_Megatron: Humankind has no idea what lies ahead for them…_

_**Show the base smoking and smouldering in the flames**_

_Fowler: The only ones that can fix this mess are Prime, Talida and their bots. I'm sure they're out there. They gotta be._

_Talida: This is like nothing we're up against. Dividing all of us may have avoided total capture and annihilation of the Autobot cause. But how are we going to defeat the Decepticons if we're all scattered?_

_**Show Arcee releasing dust into the air around her and Jack**_

_Jack: Team Prime is scattered to the winds. For all we know, you and I could be the only ones left._

_**Show Bulkhead and Miko sitting in a field overlooking a road**_

_Miko: I don't think he's coming._

_Optimus: The time for a new leader is upon us…_

_Talida: You don't know what you're saying!_

_**Show a beam destroying Jasper**_

_**Show Decepticon fortress shooting down military jets**_

_**Show Decepticon seekers in a forest**_

_Jack: The Decepticons outnumber us a hundred to one! Aren't there anymore Autobots out there who can help?!_

_Arcee: The War for Cybertron took a heavy toll._

_Shockwave: I present to you the ultimate Autobot hunter!_

_**Show the Predacon roaring and stretching its wings**_

_Starscream: A Predacon?!  
_

_Megatron: Let the hunt begin…_

_**Show the Predacon firing at the Autobots**_

_**Show Bulkhead's and Miko's eyes widening in horror**_

_**Show a petrol station exploding**_

_**Show Jack diving behind a car and Arcee shielding him**_

_Optimus: The fate of all our kind…_

_**Show Bumblebee hiding behind a tree with a new look**_

_**Show Bulkhead preparing to fight**_

_Optimus: Is more vital…_

_**Show Ratchet looking downcast**_

_**Show Arcee glaring at the sky**_

_Optimus: Then anyone of us…_

_**Show Wheeljack smirking with Energon dripping from his mouth**_

_**Show Talida and Smokescreen looking at each other in horror**_

**Talida Prime: Fading Suns**

_Optimus: There will be a new Prime…_

_Talida: No…_

**Coming soon…**

* * *

**Think that'll hold you over or do you want me to hurry up?**

**BYE!**


	10. Triangulation

**Here we go, guys. Sorry it took so long. I decided to get a quizilla account and get a Chester Bennington love story underway. Kill me now.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Sephiroth 200: ****No can do. Considering she's alive.**

**haloangel21: Is it sad that I can actually see it?**

**AlphaTrion3145:****Don't you go starting that here!  
**

**Guest:****Not yet. But I'm getting there.**

**Awesomo3000:****Make me deaf, why don't ya?**

**Guest: uh…**

**Guest: I hear that.**

**Bee4ever: Thanks!**

**SapphirePrincess1020: When I know, I'll tell ya.**

**Awesomo3000: How many times do I have to tell you people? I ONLY USE SONGS THAT I LIKE! AND SINCE I PERSONALLY THINK THAT ADELE SOUNDS LIKE SHE'S IN PAIN WHEN SHE SINGS IT, I'LL NEVER USE IT IN MY STORIES!**

**Sephiroth 200: You'd be amazed at what they don't pick up.**

**The Mandarin: They will be getting married in this story. Not saying when. And…I'm thinking of possibly having Talida fall pregnant again. Despite me not being a fan of teenage parenting.**

**AlphaTrion3145: Blame Optimus.**

**Suggestion Man: Erm…how about only giving me suggestions when I actually ask for them?**

**C.L.U: Dude, I know. I watch the episodes.**

**Lancepm: I don't watch Rescue Bots.**

**Luna Uchiha666: Thanks!**

**Jenna: Chill. I'm on holidays. So I'm going to be extra fast.**

**Yorkmaniac89: And more you shall get.  
**

**Here we go, everyone!**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Papercut**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and their respective record label.**

**Heads up! Easier to Run by Linkin Park will be used next chapter. PLEASE REMIND ME OF THIS FACT IN THE REVIEWS!  
**

**Am I the only one here that's in love with Chester at the time being? I mean…whoo…**

**WHAT THE HECK AM I SAYING?!**

**Anyway…**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Why does it feel like night today?  
Something in here's not right today.  
__Why am I so uptight today?  
__Paranoia's all I got left._

_I don't know what stressed me first.  
__Or how the pressure was fed.  
__But I know just what it feels like,  
__To have a voice in the back of my head!_

_Like a face that I hold inside!  
A face that awakes when I close my eyes!  
__A face that watches every time I lie!  
__A face that laughs every time I fall!_

_(And watches everything…)  
__So I know that when it's time to sink or swim,  
__That the face inside is hearing me,  
__Right beneath my skin!_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back!  
it's like a whirlwind inside of my head!  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!  
__It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin!_"

**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**

"_There is one that Prime seems to respect," Fowler mused._

_"Dreadwing! There is another path!" Optimus called._

_"Is there any point to your bluster, Prime?" Dreadwing asked._

"_The download of the Iacon database may have been incomplete. But we now possess four sets of coordinates decoded by the ship," Ratchet decreed._

"_If we are to have any hope of recovering the Iacon relics before the Decepticons do, we must divide our resources," Optimus decreed._

_"Divide?!" Talida repeated in disbelief._

"_But Optimus! When it comes to numbers, we are already at a grave disadvantage," Ratchet added to the objection._

"_Dispatching multiple squadrons will allow us to pursue all four coordinates simultaneously," Megatron stated._

"_Triangulate the coordinates of the other three relics. This is one race that we absolutely cannot afford to lose," Optimus rumbled dangerously._

"The coordinates indicate that the second of these four Iacon relics lies at the very bottom of this world," Megatron observed.

"I will journey to the ends of this or any other world to serve your will, Lord Megatron," Dreadwing vowed.

"Then return with my prize, Dreadwing. And prove that you are more worthy of being my second-in-command then those who have preceded you," Megatron requested.

* * *

"Innerstat, cross clemp, laser scalpel, durabelium drill and one slightly damaged but operational T-Cog courtesy of my traitorous clone," Starscream listed everything he had, "Everything I require to make myself whole again. A simple painless procedure. Nothing to it really, granted that one possesses the nerve…"

The closer the activated drill came to his chassis, the more his hand shook and the more whimpers that spilled from his mouth. During his time amongst the Decepticon ranks, Starscream was known as two things: a brilliant strategist. And a coward. The second fact was being proven at this moment as Starscream trembled at the prospect of the drill entering his body.

Fortunately for Starscream, the prospect of a slightly painful procedure was dissipated. The computers aboard the Harbinger began to beep and provide the same four sets of coordinates the Decepticon warship decrypted while it was fuelled by Dark Energon.

"Four detachments of Decepticons GroundBridging to four different coordinates at the exact same time?" Starscream observed before smirking, "Procedure delayed."

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_I know I've got a face in me.  
__Points out all my mistakes to me.  
__You've got a face on the inside too.  
__Your paranoia's probably worse._

_I don't know what set me off first.  
__But I know where I can't stand.  
__Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is,  
__I can't add up to what you can._

_But everybody has a face that they hold inside.  
__A face that awakes when I close my eyes.  
__A face that watches every time they lie.  
__A face that laughs every time they fall._

_(And watches everything…)  
__So you know that when it's time to sick or swim,  
__That the face inside is watching you too!  
__Right inside your skin!_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back!  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head!  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!  
__It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin!_

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back!  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head!  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!  
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin!_"

"Be on your guard, Bulkhead!" Optimus called to the former Wrecker as he raced his way through the GroundBridge.

After seeing Arcee, Jack, Talida, Bumblebee and Miko off to New York to retrieve the first relic, Bulkhead was the next to go chasing after the last set of coordinates. Very much like Megatron, they were chasing them simultaneously. Arcee, Jack, Talida, Bumblebee and Miko would chase after the first Iacon relic. Optimus would chase after the second relic. Ratchet would investigate the third (with some help). And Bulkhead would travel to the last set of coordinates. However, they knew that the Decepticons would still be at an advantage due to the fact that they possessed the entire Iacon database while they only possessed the four decoded coordinates.

"Rafael, lock on to the remaining coordinates. I will embark for the Antarctic," Optimus decided.

Immediately, Raf whirled around in his chair to face the silver laptop on the desk. Using his laptop, he tapped into the GroundBridge systems and began locking on to the two remaining coordinates while Optimus continued delegating jobs.

"As for you, old friend, I would prefer that you have company on your mission," Optimus said.

"There's no one left to join me, Optimus!" Ratchet immediately objected, "Even if Agent Fowler were alert…"

"Ohjemnoy," Fowler mumbled, proving Ratchet's point.

"He's human," Ratchet finished his sentence, proving that he still holds his point about humans being nothing but a nuisance.

"I was considering the only remaining Autobot alternative on this planet," Optimus confessed.

Ratchet stuttered and blubbered as he realized who Optimus was talking about, "You can't be serious! Wheeljack is insubordinate! A ruffian! Besides, he's Bulkhead partner!"

"Your expertise is scientific and Wheeljack is a highly capable warrior," Optimus reasoned.

"So is Talida! Can't you just call her back and she can come with me?!" Ratchet pleaded.

"There is a reason she went with Arcee, Bumblebee, Jack and Miko. While Jack is capable of covering Arcee and Bumblebee in terms of them being seen and Miko is very familiar with the subway network, neither of them know the city itself. Not like Talida does. You would be wise to welcome the temporary alliance," Optimus advised, indicating that there was no room for argument.

Ratchet just sighed and pinched the ends of his nose plates. He knew better then to argue with Optimus. He was right. His expertise is purely scientific. Unlike Wheeljack, he has next-to-no experience in the battlefield. Wheeljack was a member of the Wreckers and has seen plenty of action. And that wasn't just based on the stories Bulkhead told Talida growing up.

Ratchet didn't argue for another reason as well. He knew that there was a reason behind everything Optimus does. He couldn't exactly question that.

* * *

Starscream was somewhat satisfied with his work as he used a remote device to open a GroundBridge portal.

"Ah… A remote control for the GroundBridge. I love Decepticon scientists," Starscream smirked.

Since Starscream was no longer able to fly due to the loss of his T-Cog, he needed a different mode of transport to make his way through the Antarctic. And his mode of transport just happened to be the hovering Cybertronian equivilant of an old person's motorized scooter.

And it just happened to be one that didn't travel fast.

"I despise this planet! If it isn't a scorching desert, it is a frigid wasteland!" Starscream grumbled, shivering slightly in the cold, "Now where are the Decepticon berthing?"

As he pondered, Starscream looked ahead to see if he could find them. However, he was looking in the wrong place as they appeared from behind. When they noticed who was in the Antarctic with them, they turned around and opened fire. Starscream's motorized scooter couldn't travel fast enough as he whirled around and proceeded to make a not-so-hasty retreat.

"YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE OF TRANSPORTATION!" Starscream cried.

Starscream let out another yell as the scooter toppled and he tumbled in the snow. The flakes of ice and snow in his joints gave him a stiff and unpleasant sensation. However, he couldn't take the time to do anything about it as the Decepticons who were attacking him transformed into their bipedal mode and landed before him.

"Decepticons! Do you not realize you just shot down your ship's commander?!" Starscream roared, hoping that they would believe his little deception.

Hearing another thud behind him, Starscream turned around and almost gaped. Standing before him with his weapon ready to fire if necessary was Dreadwing. And Starscream was certainly in for a nasty shock.

"You command no one, deserter," Dreadwing objected.

"Skyquake?!" Starscream quivered, "You're…"

"You mistake me for my brother who is one with the AllSpark, as you are without doubt aware, former Commander Starscream," Dreadwing snarled, causing Starscream to quiver nervously, "Were it up to me, I would end this here and now."

Hearing the sounds of a clank, hiss and beep, Starscream looked down in confusion. To his horror, he saw that his hands were cuffed together and left unable to fight.

"But it is my duty as first lieutenant to Megatron to render all traitors to my lord and master for due punishment," Dreadwing finished.

"FIRST LIEUTENANT?!" Starscream screeched in disbelief, "THAT'S MY POST!"

Starscream grew to regret blurting that out as the Vehicons surrounding them unfolded their blasters and aimed them at Starscream. While all traitors were to be brought to Megatron to be dealt the appropriate punishment, they were still allowed to shoot first and ask questions later if their prisoner attempted to escape or posed a threat to a high-ranking Decepticon. And since he was first lieutenant, Dreadwing fell into that category.

"Was my post," Starscream relented sheepishly.

Not wanting to be shot for resisting their attempts of capture, Starscream followed the Decepticons willingly through the Antarctic on the hunt of the relic.

"Commander Dreadwing, this must be a very important mission if Megatron has dispatched his second-in-command. Scouting for Energon or something else altogether?" Starscream inquired.

"That is none of your concern," was all Dreadwing said as he continued ahead.

"If I knew what you were looking for, perhaps I could help," Starscream mused, only to gasp in pain as a Vehicon sharply pressed his blaster into his back.

"We have arrived at the coordinates," Dreadwing proclaimed.

However, to Dreadwing's horror, there was nothing there waiting for them. Nothing but a large cavern that was almost frozen over and a bunch of red flags. Clearly, someone had excavated the find and used the flags to mark the spot.

"The relic! It has been taken!" Dreadwing gasped.

"Relic?! What relic?!" Starscream demanded.

"Search the area!" Dreadwing immediately instructed.

* * *

Above them, Optimus stood on the ledge of a glacier. He had just arrived at the scene and noticed that the relic was excavated before either of them arrived. If it wasn't the Decepticons and certainly wasn't the Autobots, then…

Who took the relic?

* * *

"Commander Dreadwing, we have discovered vehicle tracks," one Vehicon reported, causing Dreadwing's eyes to widen in horror if they hadn't already.

"The Autobots," Dreadwing snarled as his fist clenched in anger.

"Perhaps. Though I've never known them to plant flags at the site of their victories. Although, if that annoying little techno-organic was involved," Starscream mused.

Dreadwing lifted Starscream into the air by his throat and warned dangerously, "Do not try me, traitor! I will leave your lifeless husk in this frozen waste!"

Dreadwing stopped when he heard the sound of a throaty engine approaching. Turning around, he saw a familiar red-and-blue truck coming closer to them. Immediately, he knew who it was.

"You two, guard the prisoner," Dreadwing instructed as he pointed to two random Vehicons as Optimus transformed and stood before them, "Optimus Prime! I will request only once that you surrender the relic!"

"I was going to request the same of you, Dreadwing," Optimus confessed.

"Then I would say that we were on equal footing…were it not that there were five of us and only one of you," Dreadwing shrugged.

"Six! If you'd relieve me of these ridiculous radicals!" Starscream gritted as he struggled against his cuffs to prove his point.

Optimus said nothing and he did nothing. Instead, he just stood there calmly. Dreadwing was right about one thing. The relic had been excavated hours before. And neither side was willing to admit that the relic had fallen into their hands. However, Dreadwing was right about something else he had stated before. Optimus was going to battle solo against five Decepticons. He'd count Starscream in the mix. But since he was cuffed, he didn't feel that it was necessary to worry.

After a few moments in a Mexican standoff, the Decepticons made the first move. The Vehicons unfolded their blasters and Dreadwing unveiled his own weapon. They all began opening fire on the Autobot leader. Effortlessly, Optimus began dancing around to avoid the shots while returning fire himself. In the space of a few moments, he managed to take down two Vehicons who dared to come closer.

Dreadwing bared his denta in frustration. He swore to Megatron that he would return with the relic and keep it out of the hands of anyone else. He also swore to himself that he would personally punish those responsible for his brother's death.

Starscream, because he was in charge of the Decepticons when his death happened.

Bumblebee, because he was the one who ripped out most of Skyquake's vital cables.

And Optimus, because he, in a way, held a hand in the death of his twin brother happened.

So when Optimus managed to hit him in the arm, he saw red. He changed ammo. Instead of the regular blaster fire, he began shooting explosives. Optimus decided to do what Talida did frequently to avoid fire in the battlefield. He jumped in the air and flipped as the explosives whizzed past beneath him. When he landed in a crouched position in the snow, the explosives detonated behind him.

Dreadwing wasn't going to let this end with the Autobots emerge victorious. So he unsheathed his sword and went to strike the approaching Optimus. Optimus, however, had unsheathed his own swords and blocked the oncoming attack. A swordfight occurred between them. Each one either making or blocking attacks.

Eventually, they tired of that fight and decided to upgrade to hand-to-hand combat. It began with Dreadwing tackling Optimus. However, he tackled him so hard that they ended up toppling over the edge of the glacier. To those standing far from the glacier's edge – namely Starscream and the surviving Vehicons – the drop would appear to be significantly high.

In reality, the drop was nothing more then a few meters and Optimus and Dreadwing were relatively unharmed. In fact, they continued their fight. Dreadwing essentially gained the upper hand and knocked Optimus to the ground. In retaliation, he transformed his hand into his blasters and fired at the glacier behind him.

This amused the loyal Decepticon, who crowed, "Your aim is poor."

As usual, the Autobot made the Decepticon first lieutenant eat his words. Looking up when he heard the all-too familiar sound, he saw the glacier begin to crumble. He only realized too late what Optimus had just done.

"That is only a matter of perspective," Optimus retorted as he stood and backed away.

"NO!"

Dreadwing's cry echoed around the Antarctic as the glacier came down on top of him, burying him alive in the cold and dark.

"A stalemate would leave us…where?" Starscream pondered in confusion as they arrived at the scene.

"Commander Dreadwing!" a Vehicon called to the approaching shadow.

Very much like Dreadwing did, they learned in horror the real situation. However, unlike Dreadwing, they were quick to learn how to retaliate. Starscream backed away as he saw the Vehicons and Optimus duke it out. Glancing at the Vehicon opening fire next to him, an idea formed in his head.

He grabbed the Vehicon's blaster and roughly pulled it away from Optimus. The other Vehicon noticed and decided to open fire on Starscream instead. Quickly, the Decepticon rogue pulled the struggling Vehicon in front of him and use him as a shield. The Vehicon he held was killed instantly. Now he had one more Vehicon to take care of.

_BANG!  
_

Or not.

Optimus walked forward with smoking blasters. It was clear that he was the one who fired the shot after finishing his battle with the drones. Slowly, cautiously and dangerously, the Autobot leader approached the rogue.

"What a team we make!" Starscream pretended to crow as he approached Optimus, "And I am so glad that you prevailed, Optimus Prime! That wretched Dreadwing was going to terminate me! Now if you could just remove my bonds, I can lead you straight to the relic!"

One thing that Starscream didn't expect was for Optimus to turn his blasters against him and rumble dangerously,

"You will lead me there regardless."

"You're welcome," Starscream grumbled with a slight scoff.

* * *

As the wind picked up, Optimus and Starscream walked through the snow. Starscream lead the way as Optimus stood a few feet behind him with his blaster unfolded. If Starscream tried anything or mentioned his family in the wrong way, he was a popsicle.

"Be reasonable, Prime! This cold will freeze both our articulators!" Starscream stated, "And you do have a spark mate, daughter and son that depend on you!"

"The current temperatures aren't extreme enough to effect our biology," Optimus retorted, "And if you value your life, I would keep my family out of this. Otherwise, you'll be fine."

"Fine. Miserable. And I cannot believe you'd take our alliances for granted after all I have done for the Autobots! Helping to restore your memory, saving the lives of your spark mate and daughter…," Starscream trailed off slyly.

"While you have at times proved beneficial to us, it has been only to improve your own interests," Optimus retaliated, causing Starscream to snarl in frustration.

"Well, we all can't be as selfless as you, can we? I mean, even your own daughter is second best compared to you," Starscream sniped.

"I do believe that I have warned you to keep my family out of something that doesn't involve them. And you don't know my daughter. So stop pretending that you do," Optimus rumbled dangerously.

Eventually, even Optimus had to admit. While this place was no Arctic, the Antarctic still had its own bitter winds that were biting at their joints. Fortunately, Optimus was radiating enough warmth through his large body to survive. He also remembered a trick that Talida had told him about. About how when she, Jack, Arcee and Alpha Trion were in the monorail on Cybertron and she couldn't stay warm.

"**Whenever I feel cold, I just close my eyes and think of the warm memories. I think of all the times I would spend with you, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Cliffjumper; and believe it or not, Ratchet. I'd think of the campfires Jack and I used to have in the backyard. I'd think of your hugs. Sometimes, I'd just remember warmth in general.**"

So Optimus took his daughter's advice to spark. He thought of warm memories. He thought of every hug he had shared with Talida. From a baby to a young woman. He thought of every moment with his family. He thought of…well, everything he held dear.

"Ahhh…," Starscream's hum broke Optimus from his thoughts of happy memories as they arrived at a hill overlooking a small building, "As I suspected, humans. We will find the relic here. So let us reclaim what is rightfully ours."

Starscream took a few steps closer to the edge of the hill to continue the journey, only to be roughly yanked back by Optimus as the Autobot leader grabbed his wings in a painful manner. The Decepticon rogue almost cried out in pain at the harsh treatment.

Then again, he couldn't help but think he deserved it in a way after all he's done.

"We cannot just simply enter a human facility in search of Cybertronian relics," Optimus objected, unwilling to put any human in harm's way.

"Not even if they stole it?" Starscream asked wryly.

"Nor can I expose any humans to a dangerous Decepticon," Optimus added as a final note on the matter before he opened his commlink, "Rafael, has Agent Fowler regained consciousness?"

* * *

"I'm here, Prime," Fowler answered on Raf's behalf, "_What's your situation?_"

"I require access to a search facility at my current coordinates," Optimus clarified.

"_Let me make a call._"

* * *

The sound of a yell and ice breaking could be heard around the glaciers. A slightly-frozen hand reached up into the ice to pull the remaining body free. Dreadwing had freed his way out of the icy grave and immediately began walking. When he saw the fallen Vehicons as he grabbed his sword, he knew what happened.

The footprints in the snow were another indicator. It would also lead him to where he needed to go.

So he transformed into his jet mode, hoping he would arrive before it was too late.

* * *

"Are we really going to wait out here in the freezing cold completely at the mercy of human bureaucracy?!" Starscream asked incredulously.

At that moment, they turned around and saw three helicopters taking off. They didn't need Fowler's next message to tell them what they already knew.

"_Base is clear, Prime. Try not to wreck the joint._"

"Many thanks, Agent Fowler," Optimus thanked as he and Starscream moved forward.

With little effort, Optimus pushed the doors wide open and walked inside. Naturally, Starscream was hot on his heels. Standing there in the centre of the room was the relic. The good news is that they finally found the relic. The bad news is…

"The relic is still incased in ice," Optimus observed.

"I knew of your questionably honors, Starscream! But aiding the Autobots?! THAT is a capitol offence!" Dreadwing growled as he appeared in the doorway.

"What?! But I left tracks for you! On purpose! So you could rescue me from my captor!" Starscream objected.

"Dreadwing, I cannot allow you to leave here with this relic," Optimus decreed as he stood between Dreadwing, Starscream and the relic, unwilling to let the relic get away.

"I know that, Prime. But I do not intend to give you a choice," Dreadwing retorted.

The firefight began between the two enemies once again, despite Fowler's earlier instructions that they were not to wreck the place. As Optimus tackled Dreadwing, the gun that the Decepticon favored so dearly slipped from his grasp. It skidded across the ice for a few feet before coming to a stop close by.

Smirking as he watched the two fight, Starscream turned to face the relic. Essentially, Optimus and Dreadwing would learn the grave mistake they had made.

"Given all the fuss, this relic must be special," Starscream mused as he tapped the ice case.

Laughing in glee, he got creative as he used his cuffs to smash the ice.

Hearing beeps and seeing Dreadwing holding a remote, Optimus looked down and saw one of Dreadwing's trademark bombs strapped to his chassis. Quickly, he threw the bomb away and ran off before he was caught in the explosion.

Once Starscream had smashed through the ice, he took the relic in his hands and pulled it out.

"Armor of Decepticon origin," Starscream observed as he glanced at the armor in his hands.

Immediately, he placed the icon on his chassis. The armor began to form around his body. When the sleeves reached his wrists, the cuffs broke into two pieces. Starscream seemed to grow taller as he stood upright and his head was encased in a helmet once the encasement was complete. Standing there, Starscream smirked.

Optimus and Dreadwing won't know what's coming.

Optimus grunted as he found himself face planting the cold, slippery ice. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Dreadwing hold the sword in his hands and hold it up. However, Dreadwing would never get the chance to strike Optimus down. A mysterious bang made sure of that. Turning around, they saw Starscream standing there encased in a strange armor. It didn't take them long to realize that the armor encasing Starscream was in fact the Iacon relic they were searching for.

"The Apex Armor," Optimus rumbled in observation.

"A perfect fit," Starscream boasted happily.

"You dare to claim that which belongs to Lord Megatron?!" Dreadwing exclaimed.

"And what do you intend to do about it, Commander?" Starscream challenged with a smirk.

Never one to back down from a fight, Dreadwing charged at Starscream. Starscream's thick chassis knocked back Dreadwing's sword with ease, causing Starscream to cackle in glee as he easily knocked Dreadwing away with one hand.

"Not so big and strong now, are you?!" Starscream taunted, "I haven't had this much fun since I punched that hole in Cliffjumper! Allow me to reunite you with your beloved twin!"

Despite the two of them being on different sides, Optimus wouldn't let that happen. He easily knocked Starscream to the ground and the tractor he had picked up flying into the air, which narrowly avoided Dreadwing as it landed. Easily, Starscream blocked Optimus' next attack.

"And you, Optimus Prime, I will beat the living spark out of you! Just so I never again have to deal with your bon trifurcating! Allow me to reunite you with your dear friend! I believe that her name was Princess Rayna. Oh! And don't worry about your precious family! They'll soon be joining you!" Starscream vowed.

Before Optimus could retaliate, Starscream threw him into the pile of crates. Very much like Optimus did for him, Dreadwing retaliated on Optimus' behalf. He used his recently-retreated gun to fire Energon blasts at the Decepticon rogue before making another attempted swipe with his sword. This time, to his head. The glass that made up Starscream's helmet didn't even make the tiniest crack. Eventually, Starscream threw Dreadwing into the same crates Optimus was rising from.

"Dreadwing, our battle remains unfinished. But if we do not unite against our common foe," Optimus began.

"Starscream would destroy us both," Dreadwing finished with a knowing sneer.

If there was one thing Dreadwing hated, it was the fact that his enemy was right. He knew this was true by the way Starscream approached them with a chuckle.

"I will draw his attention," Dreadwing decided as he handed Optimus one of his bombs.

Transforming into his jet mode, Dreadwing flew away and made sure Starscream saw so that their little plan would work. He eventually turned around and flew back towards Starscream, firing multiple bullets with his already-installed guns. The bullets raining down upon him didn't faze the Decepticon rogue. His armor protected him from any threat. In fact, he raced forward, jumped and hit Dreadwing hard enough to send him hurtling to the ground.

"Might beats flight!" Starscream boasted.

Behind him, Optimus jumped onto Starscream's back and performed his part of the plan. Just as quickly as he did with Dreadwing, Starscream sent the Autobot leader hurtling through the air and onto the cold ice a few feet away. With their common foe distracted by Optimus, Dreadwing looked up and smirked as he stood.

"You should be the one to join with the AllSpark!" Dreadwing crowed as he pressed the button on his remote.

As he heard the familiar rapid beeps, Starscream's optics widened in horror. Once again, he realized too late the situation he was placed under. As he turned around and tried to remove the bomb, it detonated while it was still attached. Cautiously stepping forward, Optimus and Dreadwing surveyed the damage.

However, as they heard Starscream's chuckles and the smoke began to clear, they saw that there was little to no damage done to Starscream.

So much for Plan A.

"That tickles!" Starscream cackled, "Fools! Not only am I intelligent! I AM INVISIBLE!"

"Yet you cannot fly!" Optimus called out.

"Nobody's perfect," was Starscream's response as he approached Optimus, "Now tell me of the other three relics. Are they as powerful as my shiny new armor?"

Dreadwing watched as Starscream backhanded Optimus in a way that sent him flying. Inside his mind, an idea formed in his head.

But would it work? At least, better then their last attempt?

"They were hidden away precisely to keep them away from the likes of you!" Optimus snarled as he repeatedly pounded at the Apex Armor protecting Starscream, the anger about the earlier remarks Starscream made about his family fueling each hit.

"He is far too powerful, Prime!" Dreadwing called in warning, "Fall back!"

"Cowards!" Starscream roared as Optimus transformed and drove to stand next to Dreadwing, "You will not escape my might! Wait! You two are up to something!"

All Dreadwing did was hit that same button on that special remote of his and once again, Starscream heard the familiar sounds of the rapid beeps. Multiple rapid beeps from multiple sources. Glancing around, he saw that Dreadwing had planted bombs in a circle around his position. As Optimus and Dreadwing began making a hasty retreat…

_KA-BOOM!  
_

They were knocked off their feet by a strong gush of wind and the force of fire. Starscream let out a long, drawn out, pain filled scream as he fell into the dark abyss. Optimus and Dreadwing walked forward to survey the damage. For once, they had caused the damage they had intended to cause. There was a dark icy hole where Starscream once stood. They knew that the hole had swallowed him whole.

"Now that our alliance has served its purpose," Dreadwing began as he unsheathed his sword.

"Starscream is gone and the Apex Armor with him," Optimus stated as he transformed his servo into his sword, "Is there any need to renew battle when the goal has been lost?"

"We have other unfinished matters," Dreadwing snarled.

"I bore Skyquake no malice. I regret the role that I played in his demise," Optimus swore as he transformed his sword back into his servo before beginning his plea, "So I will appeal to you as I once did your twin. Turn your back on the Decepticon cause and help me end this war. For his sake and all that have fallen."

Dreadwing thought on the offer for a moment, before placing its sword back into its sheath and saying, "You have saved my life today. I will terminate you the next time we meet. Be sure to give my best regards to your spark mate, your techno-organic and your sparkling."

With those words said, Dreadwing transformed into his jet mode and flew away into the Southern Aurora.

"So be it, Dreadwing," Optimus sighed.

* * *

On the seabed below the ice, a figure marched across the sandy ground. Its footsteps heavy. Its body bulky. Its snarl filled with malice and vengeance. Red optics filled with dangerous intentions.

It was Starscream.

"_The face inside is right beneath your skin…  
__The face inside is right beneath your skin…  
__The face inside is right beneath your skin…_

_The sun… Goes down…  
__I feel the light betray me…_

_The sun… Goes down…  
__I feel the light betray me…_

_(The sun...) It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back!  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head!  
__It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!  
__(I feel the light betray me…) It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin!_

_(The sun…) It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back!_  
_It's like a whirlwind inside of my head!_  
_It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!_  
_(I feel the light betray me…) It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!_  
_(The sun…) It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within!_

_It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin!_"

* * *

**In the words of Bulkhead…  
**

**HA HA! JACKIE'S BACK!**

* * *

_Wheeljack: You might wanna hold onto something._

Show the Jackhammer crashing into a cliff edge before flying on.

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Wheeljack: We've got a bogey on our tail._

Show the Jackhammer in a crash dive

_Megatron: RETRIEVE THE RELIC!_

Show Soundwave with a cracked visor

Show Soundwave and Wheeljack in a Mexican standoff on a cliff

Show Wheeljack holding his swords in his hands as Soundwave unveils his own

Show Wheeljack in his vehicle mode flying over the edge of the cliff

Show Wheeljack and Soundwave fighting

Show Wheeljack's sword scraping Soundwave's visor

Show Ratchet holding a small glowing cylinder

_Wheeljack: I'll be there in two minutes._

_Ratchet: More or less._

Show Soundwave's claw clutching Wheeljack's chassis

_Ratchet: Wheeljack?!_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**Well, BYE!**


	11. Triage

**Now I feel like doing the jive for some reason… Also, I wrote this chapter in a day. Sixteen Microsoft pages in a day. How much do you love me?!**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Guest:** _**Princess of Dreams**_

_**I like Talida's advice. I'll remember it and definitely use it! **__** Please update!**_

**Your wish is my command.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Another awesome chapter, my friend! Loved this relic hunt episode! Starscream just doesn't know when to shut up about Cliffjumper's death, does he? XD Please update ASAP!**_

**Remember. This is Starscream we're talking about.**

**tfp-fan: **_**do you think you can use the song "The Humbling River" by Puscifer in one of your chapters? It's that song that played in the trailer for Fall of Cybertron. **_

**Hmmmm…**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**Love the chapter!**_

**Thanks!**

**AlphaTrion3145:** _**Then don't get Talida pregnant again, cause that same situation was the aftermath of The Chain Reaction(in someone else's story though, and a different character) that I caused. But can there still be that moment between Talida & Bumblebee after the wedding(You know what I'm talking about)?**_

**Maybe not. I wanna keep this one T and only have to bump it up to M for violence if I needed to. But I do know when I'm gonna have them get married. Sometime in the near future…**

**haloangel21: **_**Hmm. Good chapter. I spotted several spelling/said sentence mistakes, but then again, no one's perfect. This episode was easily the best we've gotten from Optimus in a long time. Next episode…showdown between Wheeljack and Soundwave. It will be EPIC.**_

**Then there's the ending.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Dreadwing has always been my favorite Decepticon! And seeing him work with OP is a great story to tell. Oh and don't forget to use Easier to Run by Linkin Park next chapter!**_

**Thanks for reminding me!**

**storyreader:** _**how does adele sound like she's in pain when she sings skyfall? She sounds fine to me.**_

**You have your opinions and I have mine. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Good chappie!  
**_

**Thanks!**

**VectorSigma101: **_**SO AWESOME**_

**Thanks!**

**Yo, yo, yo! Let's get it started in here! Because sometimes, it's easier to run when you feel so numb…**

© _**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Easier to Run **_**rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and their respective record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_It's easier to run…  
__Replacing the pain with something numb…  
__It's so much easier to go…  
__Then face all this pain here alone…_

_Something has been taken from deep inside of me.  
__The secret I've kept locked away no one can see.  
__Wounds so deep they never show they never go away.  
__Like moving pictures in my head for years and years they played._

_(If I could change, I would. Take back the pain, I would.)  
(Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would.)  
__(If I could stand up and take the blame, I would.)  
__(If I could take all the shame to the grave, I would.)_

_(If I could change, I would. Take back the pain, I would.)  
__(Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would.)  
__(If I could stand up and take the blame, I would.)  
__(I would take all my shame to the grave.)_

_It's easier to run…  
__Replacing this pain with something numb…  
__It's so much easier to go…  
__Then face all this pain here all alone…_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_The download of the Iacon database may have been incomplete. But we now possess four sets of coordinates decoded by the ship," Ratchet announced._

"_If we are to have any hope of finding the Iacon relics before the Decepticons do, we must divide our resources," Optimus proclaimed._

_"Divide?!" Talida repeated in disbelief._

_"Dispatching multiple squadrons will enable us to pursue all four coordinates simultaneously," Megatron pointed out._

"_I will embark for the Antarctic. As for you, old friend, I would prefer that you have company on your mission," Optimus decided._

"_You can't be serious! Wheeljack is insubordinate! A ruffian!" Ratchet protested._

_"Wheeljack is a highly capable warrior. You would be wise to welcome the temporary alliance," Optimus left no room for discussion._

When Wheeljack got the call from Optimus for help, he was sort of surprised. Considering what had happened the last time they met during their first encounter with Dreadwing, he honestly thought he'd just keep roaming the Earth until he faded to gunmetal grey. Then again, he understood why he was called up. They had to beat the Decepticon to the four decoded coordinates and obtain the Iacon relics. And as Optimus said before, Ratchet's expertise was scientific. He is barely able to hold up a fight.

So that was how Wheeljack found himself in the forest leaning against the Jackhammer with his signature grenade in his hand waiting for Ratchet to arrive. Eventually, he heard the familiar sound of a GroundBridge portal opening. Turning around, he saw Ratchet was finally arriving. While he was still his usual relaxed self, he was still ready to rumble.

"The boss thought you needed backup, huh?" Wheeljack smirked.

"If you must know, Optimus feels strongly that you require supervision," Ratchet corrected with a grumble as he approached the Jackhammer.

"I'll be sure to be on my best behavior, Doc," Wheeljack promised cheekily.

"Please don't call me Doc," Ratchet requested as he walked up the ramp.

"Whatever you say, sunshine," Wheeljack drawled, causing Ratchet to freeze and snarl.

Despite the hiccups caused by Ratchet's grouchiness and Wheeljack's cheekiness, they were soon on their way to the coordinates of the next Iacon relic. Needless to say, the tension was still there.

"So, all of Team Prime is busy chasing down these four Iacon relics?" Wheeljack surmised what he knew.

"The four which are currently in play," Ratchet nodded.

"There's more?!" Wheeljack said in surprise.

"Megatron maintains possession of the entire Iacon database. We have yet to learn how many more relics or Decepticon weapons of mass destruction it contains," Ratchet clarified.

"No worries, Doc. I've got your back," Wheeljack promised.

Ratchet snarled once again before saying, "My name is not Doc! And I do not require anyone watching my back! I've proved my medal during the War for Cybertron!"

"Then I'm lucky you're along for the ride, champ," Wheeljack drawled before his computers bleeped to indicate trouble coming in, "'Cause we've got a bogey on our tail!"

Soundwave had managed to find them and begin pursuit.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_Sometimes, I remember the darkness of my past.  
__Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have.  
__Sometimes, I think of letting go and never looking back.  
__And never moving forward so there'd never be a past._

_(If I could change, I would. Take back the pain, I would.)  
__(Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would.)  
__(If I could stand up and take the blame, I would.)  
__(If I could take all the shame to the grave, I would.)_

_(If I could change, I would. Take back the pain, I would.)  
__(Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would.)  
__(If I could stand up and take the blame, I would.)  
__(I would take all my shame to the grave.)_

_Just washing it aside...  
__All of the helplessness inside…  
__Pretending I don't feel misplaced…  
__It's so much simpler than change…_"

"Soundwave!" Ratchet identified as he saw the familiar jet in the small screen.

"Megatron's communications chief?" Wheeljack said in surprise and disbelief.

"He must be tracking the same coordinates," Ratchet shrugged casually.

He felt the ship shake around him as Soundwave began opening fire on them. Quickly, Wheeljack performed midair maneuvers to avoid the shots and in the hope that he would successfully shake the silent Decepticon spy off their tail.

"You might wanna grab on to something," Wheeljack warned.

Unfortunately for Ratchet, Wheeljack's word of advice wasn't enough of a warning. Before he had the chance to grab onto something, Wheeljack made the ship go faster and head higher into the skies. Inside his Energon tanks, he felt the similar burning, bubbly sensation Cybertronians did whenever they wanted to purge. Since he spent more time in a lab then in a ship, he wasn't used to the violent maneuvers Wheeljack was performing.

"Are you trying to send us to the scrapyard?!" Ratchet snapped.

Wheeljack managed to fly behind Soundwave and begin opening fire on him. The Decepticon spy, however, wasn't someone who would easily be outwitted. Easily, he deployed Laserbeak and allowed him to deal with his Autobot enemies.

"What's that?!" Wheeljack demanded, gesturing to the drone following them.

"Soundwave's surveillance drone, Laserbeak," Ratchet answered before grunting at the more violent maneuvers Wheeljack performed to avoid Laserbeak's firepower, "Wheeljack, maintain pursuit! Soundwave is merely using the drone to distract us!"

"I welcome a good distraction," Wheeljack smirked as an idea formed in his head.

'_Now why does that make me nervous?_' Ratchet thought to herself dryly.

Eventually, Wheeljack managed to flip the ship over Laserbeak so he was now flying behind him. He then began to open fire on the drone. After all, as the saying goes…

What goes around comes around.

"The hunter becomes the hunted," Wheeljack mused.

"This is no time for hot dogging!" Ratchet snapped.

The raining hail of bullets continued to descend upon Laserbeak in periodic spurts. On. Off. On. Off. As though someone was turning a spigot on and off on a rainy day. That is…until Laserbeak disappeared inside the white clouds around them.

"He's gone," Ratchet said, "Now we can find Sound-WHOA!"

The ship rocked as Laserbeak appeared from nowhere and began attacking them. Wheeljack flew the Jackhammer behind him again and began chasing him in a nosedive. When the clouds clear, they saw they were flying into a cliff face. Ratchet let out a long, drawn-out, horror-filed scream. Wheeljack barely managed to pull up in time. The only damage they had was when they scraped the edge of the cliff.

"What are you doing?!" Ratchet asked nervously as Wheeljack flew towards the shooting Laserbeak returning fire as well…and showing no signs of pulling up, "Wheeljack… WHEELJACK!"

Laserbeak flew over the Jackhammer, barely scraping the roof. Ratchet, however, has having a hard time getting over the spark attack he had just endured. Wheeljack, unfazed by it, continued pursuit by activating his targeting system. With Laserbeak in his sights, he opened fire again. This time was more successful. One of the shots successfully hit Laserbeak and sent him hurtling to the ground.

"Took down that 'Con!" Wheeljack cheered.

"You did it!" Ratchet cheered in surprise.

However, both Autobots found themselves speaking too soon. While Laserbeak was smoking and hurtling in a nosedive for the ground, he was still able to shoot. And one of those shots hit the Jackhammer.

* * *

Moments later, Wheeljack and Ratchet were limping out of the Jackhammer. Laserbeak's shot damaged some of the Jackhammer and it sent them in a crash dive for the ground. They saw there were in a forest clearing near a series of cliffs. Mostly, the two were OK. However, the same couldn't be said for the Jackhammer.

"Argh! Right thruster's fried!" Wheeljack grumbled in frustration as he surveyed the damage.

"If you had pursued Soundwave as I instructed!" Ratchet began with a growl.

"His little birdy would still be pecking at our tailpipes!" Wheeljack retorted.

Ratchet immediately had to change his sentence, realizing that Wheeljack was right, "Well, we need to resume our search for the relic immediately! Soundwave may have already reached it!"

"The Jackhammer's not going anywhere. If you wanna catch that 'Con, we need to roll," Wheeljack proclaimed.

"Make up your mind! Are we walking or are we driving?!" Ratchet snapped impatiently.

Then he saw what Wheeljack was slowly and cautiously approaching. Laserbeak. The drone was damaged by the shot Wheeljack had fired at him during pursuit. Reaching behind him, Wheeljack pulled out his signature Samurai-style swords.

"Wheeljack, keep your distance. Laserbeak is the eyes and ears of Soundwave," Ratchet warned as Wheeljack touched the injured drone with one of his swords and flipped it over.

"Not anymore, it isn't," Wheeljack corrected with a smirk.

* * *

Ratchet was right about two things. Regardless of the fact that Laserbeak was virtually fried in the long pursuit, Soundwave continued his search for the relic. The second thing Ratchet was right about was the fact that he was already there.

Using his highly advanced CPU, he managed to pinpoint where the relic was buried.

* * *

"Operating system seems functional but offline," Ratchet observed after running a scan on the defenseless Laserbeak, "However, the crash clearly damaged its audio and visual receptors."

"Guess someone's gonna need a new snitch," Wheeljack joked with a smirk.

"Minor victory and not the one we're here to achieve," Ratchet retorted as he went to walk away.

"Hold on there, Doc!" Wheeljack called to the retreating medic, earning a snarl in return as he twirled his grenade in his hand, "Situation's ripe for an old Wrecker trick."

"I'm…not sure I follow," Ratchet confessed.

"Sooner or later, Soundwave's gonna come looking for his pet. We let them reunite and return to base packing a live grenade. The first time 'Wave reaches inside, trips the pin and ka-boom!" Wheeljack clarified his intended trick.

That caused Ratchet to get an idea in his head. It was similar to Wheeljack's idea. But there was one massive difference in what Wheeljack intended and what Ratchet wanted to do.

"Why plant a simple incendiary device when we could plant a more devastating bomb?" Ratchet asked with a smirk as he approached Dreadwing and transformed his servo into a scalpel and opened Laserbeak to reveal his systems, "A virus engineered to pass from Laserbeak to Soundwave then directly into the Decepticon warship's mainframe where it will transmit the entire contents of the Iacon database to us."

"Sounds complex. Thought we were in a hurry," Wheeljack reminded him.

"Optimus would agree. Risking the loss of one relic to gain the rest is a worthwhile gamble," Ratchet retorted.

"You really have the chops to pull off that kind of programming?" Wheeljack asked.

"Not alone. I'll require backup. Thankfully, since Talida is in the field as well, she managed to pass down her computer genius to her son," Ratchet smirked.

"The kid has a kid?!" Wheeljack repeated in surprise.

"It's a long story," was all Ratchet said.

* * *

Back at the base, Fowler was fully recovered and was working to help Raf monitor communications. Fowler was working at the main computers. Raf was sitting near the lounge area working on his laptop. That is, until the call came in.

"_Rafael, we have a situation._"

* * *

The situation Ratchet was talking different from the one that was about to go down. Soundwave used his extendable claws to unveil the relic.

* * *

"_If you could write a source code for the virus, my scanners could translate it to Cybertronian script as it uploads._"

"I can do it. But if we want to keep the virus hidden from the 'Cons, we'll need a decoy. You know, like a second virus," Raf warned.

* * *

"Or something less complicated," Ratchet mused as he turned to face Wheeljack. More specifically, the grenade attached to his hip.

"A decoy as in we want them to find it. But doesn't blow?" Wheeljack surmised.

"Correct," Ratchet nodded.

"Seems like the waste of a perfectly good grenade," Wheeljack grumbled.

However, he tossed it to Ratchet nevertheless. Once he had it, Ratchet removed the explosive inside and placed it among Laserbeak's circuitry systems.

* * *

"Wait a minute. A grenade inside of Laserbeak inside of Soundwave?!" Raf repeated in surprise, "Like a turducken!"

"_I'm sorry?_" **(Everyone: A what?)**

"It's a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a…never mind," Raf sighed, knowing that no matter how he explained it, Ratchet would never understand it.

* * *

"And where are you off to?" Ratchet asked Wheeljack as he went to walk away.

"By you some time. And who knows? Maybe pick up a relic," Wheeljack shrugged as he transformed into his vehicular mode and drove away.

Using his claw that was burrowed in the ground, Soundwave pulled out the relic. It was a Resonance Blaster. A dangerous weapon invented by Decepticon scientists that would deploy sonic waves that hold deadly consequences for those at the receiving end.

Looking up, Soundwave saw a perfect victim of the Resonance Blaster coming his way. This perfect victim drove over the edge of the cliff and transformed mid-air. Wheeljack let out a warrior's yell as he unsheathed his swords and went to attack. Soundwave backed away at the last moment, causing Wheeljack to strike the cliff instead.

"You dropped something," Wheeljack said.

Confused, Soundwave glanced at his claw and saw that he was empty handed. Looking down, they saw the Resonance Blaster on the ground underneath them. From that moment on, it was anybody's game. Pretty much like the rest of the war.

And like the rest of the war, the Autobots and Decepticons would have to fight for it. So Soundwave unfolded his gun.

"This should be fun," Wheeljack smirked as his battle mask covered his face.

With a warrior's yell, Wheeljack charged to make the first attack on Soundwave. The Decepticon communications chief managed to dodge each one by either leaning to the left or right. As he lent back, one of Wheeljack's swords scraped his visor.

It continued like that. Wheeljack offending. Soundwave defending. That is…until Soundwave had enough and used his claw to attack Wheeljack, knocking him back hard enough to cause him to nearly topple over the edge of the cliff. In Soundwave's hand, he held one of Wheeljack's swords.

With another yell, Wheeljack charged. Soundwave threw his sword at the former Wrecker, only for Wheeljack to knock it away with his remaining sword. Using his tentacle, Soundwave grabbed Wheeljack in mid-air and knocked him to the ground. Beneath them, the cliff began to crumble, not used to the treatment it was receiving.

As Wheeljack struggled to get up, Soundwave turned him over onto his back. He then pressed one of his tentacles to Wheeljack's chassis, pinning the Wrecker down and earning a cry of pain in response. Using his free claw, he went to drill at Wheeljack's head. Instantly, Wheeljack grasped the tentacle with his hands to try and push it away. He pushed it down towards the other tentacle and used it to shove it off his chassis.

Now on his feet, Wheeljack was more then able to put up a pretty good fight. Even going as far as using his helm to fracture Soundwave's visor.

"Here I go again. Shattering expectations," Wheeljack joked.

* * *

"Rafael, I've jacked into Laserbeak's uplink transmitter. When you're ready, I will bring its operating systems back online in order to receive the transfer," Ratchet said.

"_Thank God I inherited mum's computer smarts, huh?_"

"Well, it's better than inheriting your father's," Ratchet pointed out.

* * *

With a roar, Wheeljack unfolded his cannons and began shooting at Soundwave. There would be times where Soundwave was able to reflect the incoming shots. But there were also times where some of the shots would hit parts of his body. Each hit forced him to stumble backwards until he was standing at the edge of the cliff like Wheeljack was moments before.

The difference is that Wheeljack didn't stop his advances because of this fact. Instead, he raced forward and kicked Soundwave in the chassis to force him over the edge. The only downside of this fact is that Wheeljack went down with him. Soundwave was momentarily stunned, giving Wheeljack the advantage over him. Standing over him, Wheeljack held his blaster to his head.

"Any last words, 'Con?" Wheeljack asked the silent Decepticon, "Right. Silent type."

As Wheeljack charged his canon, he saw one of Soundwave's tentacles in the reflection in his visor…

Holding the Resonance Blaster.

Wheeljack screamed in pain as Soundwave fired the Resonance Blaster at him. The sonic waves were painful to his audio receptors and to him, it felt as though his brains were being scrambled.

In the end, the pain was intense enough to send Wheeljack hurtling to the ground. He managed to let out one final groan of pain before slipping into the abyss of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Ratchet, the virus is coded. Commencing upload," Raf announced before commencing the upload of the virus to Ratchet.

The only downside for them is that it was going to take a while.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Laserbeak began coming to life. Ratchet barely managed to pin him down in time.

* * *

Wheeljack groaned as he kept on slipping in and out of consciousness. Fortunately, he was still conscious enough to know what was happening. Looking up, he saw Soundwave attach the Resonance Blaster to his hand through his blurred vision before the Resonance Blaster was pointed at him once again. Having no strength to fight back, Wheeljack braced himself for the mind-numbing pain.

Then…something popped up on Soundwave's visor. It was an alert about Laserbeak.

"Rafael, what's our progress?" Ratchet inquired as he struggled to keep Laserbeak pinned down.

"_50%._"

"_Doc…_"

Ratchet froze at the sound of the second voice coming through the commlink. His blue optics widened to the size of dinner plates from their squinted size before. But it wasn't because of worry.

"Wheeljack! I told you not to call me that!" Ratchet snapped.

"_I'm sorry…_"

"What's wrong? Where are you?" Ratchet immediately asked.

"_I…figure that you got…maybe…2 minutes…_"

At first, Ratchet was confused. 2 minutes till what?! Then he looked to the skies. He heard the familiar sounds of an approaching jet engine. Soundwave was coming back for Laserbeak at rapid speeds.

"Or less," Ratchet muttered to himself, "Wheeljack, what's your condition?"

He earned no response to that.

"Wheeljack," Ratchet pressed, once again, earning no response, "Rafael…"

"_We're almost there._"

Continuing his struggle against the hiding Laserbeak, Ratchet hid behind a rock. All he was hoping for was that Soundwave wouldn't catch them in this situation. If Soundwave found him fighting against Laserbeak planting a virus and a bomb, the consequences would be severe. Worse than what Wheeljack went through.

Ratchet checked his scanners for the progress of the virus upload. Almost there… It was so close to 100%, he could almost taste it.

"_Done!_"

At that word, Ratchet shut down his scanners and allowed Laserbeak to fly away. Still injured from the crash landing, Laserbeak wasn't able to fly very far or fast. In fact, after a body part fell off, he landed on the ground again and struggled to get back up.

Fortunately for him, Soundwave transformed into his bipedal mode and landed. Ratchet watched from his hiding place as Soundwave thoroughly searched the area. Well…he couldn't find it a thorough search if Soundwave couldn't find him. He watched as Soundwave approached the Jackhammer and surveyed the damage…only to hear the sound of a bang come from Ratchet's hiding place.

"Scrap!" Ratchet hissed as he crouched even lower.

Soundwave was able to find Laserbeak on the ground unable to fly. Quickly and efficiently, he attached the injured drone back to his chassis before walking away.

That is…until he heard Ratchet groan.

Soundwave froze at the sound of that groan. There was someone else here?! Who could it be? His search of the area found nothing. So he used his tentacles to double check. His first check was at Ratchet's hiding place behind the rock. Ratchet barely managed to curl up in a ball to avoid being touched by the claws. Fortunately for him, Soundwave didn't manage to touch any part of Ratchet. Instead, he grabbed the body part – a section of his tail – that fell off Laserbeak.

Now his mission was complete. He had successfully obtained the Resonance Blaster. And he managed to retrieve Laserbeak – harmed, but safe. Now, all he had to do was return to Megatron.

And that was precisely what he did.

"Soundwave has taken the bait. Wheeljack…," Ratchet tried again, only to earn the same silence from before, "Scrap!"

Without thinking twice, Ratchet transformed into his vehicular form and raced to where he knew Wheeljack would be at high speeds.

* * *

"Ah… The Resonance Blaster… Crafted by Decepticon scientists for maximum sonic devastation. Soundwave, you have performed admirable," Megatron complimented before scrawling, "Unlike Dreadwing here, who somehow managed to lose the Apex Armor to Starscream. However, two more decrypted coordinates remain in play. And I have every confidence that Knock Out and I…"

"Can you believe what the Autobots did to me?!" Knock Out screeched as he stormed onto the bridge, scratched up from the incident in the New York subway.

"Did you retrieve the relic?!" Megatron demanded.

"No, master," Knock Out answered hesitantly.

"Then I suggest you convince me of your continued usefulness by examining Laserbeak, doctor," Megatron suggested.

* * *

"Wheeljack!"

For Ratchet, he couldn't transform and race to Wheeljack's side fast enough. The former Wrecker had fallen into unconsciousness. Slowly, Ratchet pulled Wheeljack into a seated position, an action that caused him to come to.

"Just resting my optics…," Wheeljack groaned, "And my audio receptors…"

Ratchet relaxed slightly in relief at the words that came past Wheeljack's mouth. Wheeljack was his usual cheeky, defiant self.

If that wasn't an indication that the former Wrecker was going to be alright, Ratchet didn't know what else would be.

* * *

"What is it?" Megatron demanded as Knock Out stopped scanning Laserbeak in confusion.

"An obstruction of some sort," Knock Out answered as Soundwave hopped off the medical berth.

Soundwave detached Laserbeak from his chassis and opened him up…

To reveal the grenade core planted in his systems.

"Grenade!" Knock Out cried as he ran away and dove for cover.

"That is clever. Knock Out, prepare to properly dispose of the obstruction," Megatron instructed.

This led to Knock Out racing through the Nemesis with the grenade core screaming.

"Soundwave, if we are to obtain any advantage of the Autobots," Megatron began.

_KA-BOOM!_

The grenade just blew up. And somehow, Megatron knew that Knock Out was still holding it.

"Decoding the remainder of the Iacon database must remain your top priority," Megatron finished.

Being known as the silent Decepticon, Soundwave didn't use words to answer. Instead, he just nodded.

* * *

Ratchet and Wheeljack raced back to the downed Jackhammer, eager to go home.

"Rafael, send the GroundBridge," Ratchet requested as they transformed into their bipedal modes, "I would still advise that you would return to base. You require a thorough examination."

"The only thing I require right now is a hole sealant," Wheeljack corrected as he gave the Jackhammer another examination, "Trust me. The Jackhammer is in more need of a repair than me."

"Listen, Wheeljack, thank you for your backup," Ratchet said sincerely.

"Yep," Wheeljack nodded as he ripped off part of the panel and the GroundBridge opened up behind them, "See you around…Ratchet."

Ratchet was unable to contain his smile as he walked through the GroundBridge. One thing he was glad about was that Wheeljack said his name before he left. Because the fact that he kept on being called 'Doc' was starting to get on his nerves.

* * *

Aboard the Nemesis, Soundwave resumed his work on the Iacon database. He started by using his tentacles to wirelessly connect himself and Laserbeak to the computer. What Soundwave didn't realize is…

He was uploading a virus into the Decepticon mainframe.

* * *

"Ratchet! Come here!" Raf called to the returning Ratchet as he pointed to the screens.

"The Iacon database?!" Ratchet gasped as he noticed the Cybertronian encryption filling the screens.

"It's downloading to our mainframe!" Raf cried out in joy.

Ratchet let out a few joy filled laughs before declaring, "Rafael, you are a genius!"

* * *

"Oh, believe me. Soundwave will provide the coordinates to the remaining relics," Megatron promised Knock Out.

"Yes. We are fortunate to have him on our side, Lord Megatron," Knock Out muttered tiredly.

"And see about repairing his cracked visor, will you?" Megatron requested before walking away.

Standing in the doorway still, Knock Out let out a scrawl in frustration. Megatron never truly appreciated everything he had done for the Decepticon cause. Heck. No one did. No one except for his assistant Breakdown and his soul mate Malita. And they weren't there anymore. Airachnid killed Breakdown many months ago. And Malita was presumed to have died just 24 hours ago.

One thing that he hated was being underappreciated.

* * *

"Bulkhead's coming through, Agent Fowler," Raf announced as the GroundBridge activated.

"I can't wait to share the news!" Ratchet cheered in excitement.

However, Ratchet was soon forced to forget about the joy filled occasion. Another pressing matter was brought to his attention.

And that pressing matter was Bulkhead.

His unconscious form flew through the GroundBridge and landed before him. From his back, he saw a pillar of thick black smoke and bright orange flames. Ratchet watched in horror at the site of his close friend on the floor before him.

"No! Ratchet gasped in horror.

Slowly and tentively, Ratchet walked towards him. There were so many questions circling in his mind. But only two were important.

How did this happen?

Who did this to him?

"_It's easier to run…  
__Replacing this pain with something numb…  
__It's so much easier to go…  
__Then face all this pain here all alone…_

_It's easier to run…  
__(If I could change, I would. Take back the pain, I would.)  
__(Retrace every wrong move that I made.)_

_It's easier to go…  
__(If I could change, I would. Take back the pain, I would.)  
__(Retrace every wrong move that I made, I would.)  
__(If I could stand up and take the blame, I would.)  
__(I would take all my shame to the grave.)_"

* * *

**NO! BULKHEAD! Wanna find out what happened? Here it is…**

* * *

Show Bulkhead flying through the GroundBridge unconscious and injured

_Ratchet: No…_

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

Show moments of Toxicity happening in fast reverse motion

**Four missions…**

Show a volcanic explosion

_Optimus: Be on your guard, Bulkhead._

**Four powerful relics…**

_Megatron: Hardshell… Retrieve something for me._

**One epic showdown…**

Show Bulkhead and Hardshell duking it out

_Hardshell: Your spark is mine!_

Show Bulkhead's optics widening in pain and horror

_Fowler: BULKHEAD!_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**Looks like **_**If Everyone Cared**_** by Nickelback would be perfect for next chapter. I'm saving **_**Leave Out All The Rest**_** for the finale and **_**Shadow of the Day**_** is for Hurt.**

**Well, time to go. I have to wash paint off of me because I'm repainting my room. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. Now I have to deal with some people on **_**Strange Beginnings**_**. I don't appreciate some of the reviews that have been left on the latest chapter.**

**BYE!**


	12. Toxicity

**Been doing a lot of painting as I repainted my room. So…if you don't see me at the end of the chapter, I fell asleep on my laptop.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Awesomo3000: **_**This chapter is no doubt my favourite of the relic hunt! I just love it when Wheeljack keeps calling Ratchet "Doc"! XD  
**_

**Who didn't?!**

**tfp-fan: **_**glad you're considering the song idea. **__** btw, Wheeljack says "choke on that, Con", when he shoots down Laserbeak. But minor mistake, don't worry. Still a brilliant chapter!**_

**I actually didn't understand what Wheeljack was saying there. So I made it up. Remember. I'm doing the episodes by ear.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Then maybe the scene could be in a separate story like 'Rock Me', like, they get married, then everything after fast forwards or something… This is FanFiction the options are limitless.**_

**I don't even know if I want to do a smut between Talida and Bumblebee. I mean…come on! Look at how cute they are! I don't wanna corrupt that!**

**Bee4ever:** _**Loved Ratchet and Wheeljack working together. And Raf's 'turducken' comment was hilarious!**_

**I actually asked my parents what a turducken was and they didn't know.**

**dx-1118: **_**Thank you for updating so quickly! Can't wait for the next few chapters! Looking forward to lots or action, drama, romance and twists! Speaking of twists, are you going to write any chapters that aren't based on episodes of Prime like you did with Rising Darkness and Fading Light? 'Cause so far this story has been mostly the same as the series with a few changes here and there (not to say that's a bad thing). As I said in another earlier review I would like to see a chapter or two that focuses on the human characters. Oh I have another song request too: Cities in Dust by Everlove from the Fall of Cybertron trailer (the one with Metroplex). I'd recommend it for Alpha/Omega or Regeneration. Anyway, that's all from me. Update soon!**_

**I've got songs planned for all of those episodes. As for your earlier requests…patience is a virtue.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Awesome chapter as always!  
**_

**Thanks!**

**Guest:** _**Princess of Dreams**_

_***giggling***__** This episode has always been funny to me, especially when Ratchet get's grumpy. But I'm worried about bulkhead. Please update!**_

**Your wish is my command.**

**haloangel21: **_**Bulkie! D:**_

**Need some tissues?**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**If Everyone Cared**_** belongs to Nickelback and their record label.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_From underneath the trees, we watch the sky.  
__Confusing stars for satellites.  
__I never dreamed that you'd be mine.  
__But here we are. We're here tonight._

_Singing Amen, I, I'm alive…  
__Singing Amen, I, I'm alive…_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried,  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied,  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,  
__Then we'd see the day where nobody died…_

_And I'm singing,  
__Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive…  
__Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive…_

_(I'm alive…)_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_The download of the Iacon database may have been incomplete. But we now possess four sets of coordinates decoded by the ship," Ratchet announced._

"_If we are to have any hope of recovering the Iacon relics before the Decepticons do, we must divide our resources," Optimus proclaimed._

"_Divide?!" Talida repeated in disbelief._

"_Dispatching multiple squadrons will enable us to pursue all four coordinates simultaneously," Megatron pointed out._

_"Be on your guard, Bulkhead," Optimus warned._

"_RATCHET! COME HERE!" Raf called as he saw the Iacon database appear on the screens as it was loaded into their mainframe._

"_The Iacon Database?!" Ratchet gasped._

_"It's downloading into our mainframe!" Raf cheered._

_Ratchet let out a few laughs of glee before proclaiming, "Rafael, you are a genius!"_

_"Bulkhead's coming through, Agent Fowler!" Raf reported._

"_I can't wait to share the good news!" Ratchet laughed in glee…before the unconscious and burning Bulkhead flew through the GroundBridge, "No…"_

Inside the Nemesis, Megatron walked into the quarters of the Insecticon hive. Just before, he had dispatched Knock Out to New York, Dreadwing to the Antarctic and Soundwave to the wooden area to hunt for three Iacon relics. Now, he just needs someone to hunt down the fourth Iacon relic at the Equator. And he knew the perfect soldier for the job.

Insecticons.

"Who is the fiercest among you?" Megatron asked.

"There is no greater ferocity than an Insecticon hive. But… If you were to choose one among us…"

Megatron turned around as he heard someone land on the bridge behind him. This Insecticon wasn't distinct from the others. But he stood out among the hive.

"I am Hardshell," Hardshell introduced himself.

"You will retrieve something for me, Hardshell," Megatron said,

"And annihilate everything that gets in your way!"

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_And in the air, the fireflies.  
__Our only light in paradise.  
__We'll show the world they were wrong.  
__And teach them all to sing along._

_Singing Amen, I, I'm alive…  
__Singing Amen, I, I'm alive…_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried,  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied,  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died…_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried,  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied,  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died…_"

Hardshell had decided to take three Insecticons with him as his backup. Something Megatron warned him about was how capable the Autobots were. Especially when they had something worth fighting for like the Iacon relics. Years of battle and war only stood to support Megatron's statements.

So as they walked through the GroundBridge, Hardshell acted with caution. While Insecticons were quick and ruthless, they were also careful and calculating. They always calculated their plans and strategies before striking. Many of their hive have fallen before because they didn't think to do such a thing.

"Divide and do not hesitate to conquer," Hardshell instructed, causing the three Insecticons to leave before he did the same.

"Jack, Miko and Talida will accompany Arcee and Bumblebee," Optimus decided.

"YES!" Miko and Talida cheered.

"Initiate transport and triangulate coordinates of the other three relics," Optimus instructed.

"That was some trick, girls!" Bulkhead called as Miko and Talida headed down to the GroundBridge.

"You mean swiping Intel right under Megatron's nose?!" Miko said.

"Just doing our part for Team Prime," Talida shrugged casually.

_HONK! HONK!  
_

Seeing Arcee, Jack and Bumblebee waiting for them, Miko said, "Oh! Gotta go, Bulk!"

"We'll tell you all about it when we get back," Talida promised.

"WAIT UP!" Miko and Talida called as they raced to the others.

"Take care of him, girls!" Bulkhead and Raf called to the retreating group.

"Bulkhead, prepare for departure," Optimus requested.

"You are headed for the Equator," Ratchet announced.

"I'll prep for tropical weather! Wrecker style!" Bulkhead smirked.

"Rafael and Agent Fowler will be your communications and transportation hub," Optimus proclaimed as the GroundBridge came to life.

Raf turned from his laptop and gave Bulkhead a quick thumbs up before resuming his work. Fowler, who was still doped up on the hospital bed, cried the following,

"I CAN HAS CHEESEBURGER!"

"Communications, huh?" Bulkhead said dryly before making his way to the GroundBridge.

"Be on your guard, Bulkhead," Optimus warned.

Bulkhead didn't make any form of acknowledgement to the warning. Instead, he just continued to walk through the GroundBridge.

When he got there, he saw rocks and volcanos…and smelt a horrid smell.

"Smells worse then the Decepticon barracks!" Bulkhead cringed, "Fine place to hide a relic!"

With those words said, he began walking around. All he saw was molten rocks, lava rocks…basically, every kind of rock that was related to lava and volcanoes. Bulkhead was starting to get impatient. He should have found the relic by now. This was a time sensitive situation. If the Decepticons beat them to this relic…well, he couldn't think about it.

"Base, I can't find any site of the relic," Bulkhead reported, "_Can you reconfirm coordinates?_"

"Triangulating your position, Bulkhead," Raf said as he typed some commands onto his laptop that zoomed in on both Bulkhead's current coordinates and the coordinates of the relic, "You're at the correct position."

"Need coffee," Fowler muttered as he walked down the ramp past Raf, still dazed.

* * *

"Then the coordinates are wrong! 'Cause there's nothing here!" Bulkhead said as he dusted his hands.

Then he heard the familiar sounds of buzzing.

"But something's coming!" Bulkhead heard.

He'd be able to recognize the sound of that buzzing anywhere. In fact, he hated it. Although, he would never hate that sound as much as Arcee, Jack and Talida did. When he looked to the skies, he saw that his first suspicions were correct. Insecticons were coming.

As he began firing upon them, Bulkhead found himself knocked back by Hardshell. Eventually, he was thrown to the ground, where he had to begin blocking attacks.

"Leave it to Megatron to send a bug to do his dirty work," Bulkhead spat.

"You know a thing or two about dirty work yourself, Wrecker," Hardshell snarled.

"Do I know you?" Bulkhead asked in anger.

"I know your kind. I have crossed more than a few Wreckers in my time," Hardshell shrugged.

"Now, you see, the thing about bugs your size, they make a bigger mess when I smash them!" Bulkhead smirked.

Unfolding his hammers, Bulkhead raced to take the opportunity of an attack. Although he managed to land some attacks in, Bulkhead learned quickly that Hardshell is a capable fighter as he blocked one of Bulkhead's key attacks. He cried out in pain when he felt Hardshell's claws swipe against his chassis.

Deciding that his hammers wouldn't do much damage – especially after he was flipped to the ground and almost had his helm crushed by Hardshell's foot – Bulkhead began opening fire with his blasters. Bulkhead grew to regret that as Hardshell raced forward and knocked Bulkhead back a few feet.

Inspired by his will to fight, Bulkhead raced forward and punched Hardshell. Hard. Across the face. Hardshell fell backwards as one of his fangs fell off. Bulkhead snarled as he wiped the Energon dripping from the corner of his mouth. Humming, he saw the direction Hardshell had attacked him from. That was when an idea struck him. There was a chance that the relic could be there.

He couldn't afford to waste anymore time then he already had fighting Hardshell. Especially since he had a feeling that Hardshell didn't come without backup. Briskly, he transformed into his bipedal mode and race over the rocky hills.

* * *

"Ratchet, the virus is coded. Commencing upload," Raf announced as he began uploading the virus Ratchet would slip into Laserbeak's systems.

"_Raf, I have a beat on the relic._"

"Raf's busy. I'll take it from here," Fowler proclaimed.

"_Fowler?! How was your beauty sleep?!_"

"Fine. Dreamt I finally got some respect from you," Fowler answered snarkily.

* * *

"Keep dreaming," Bulkhead scoffed.

"_What's your status?_"

"I came up empty at the provided coordinates. But I figured old lava flow would have carried the relic downhill," Bulkhead said.

* * *

"Wouldn't that just burn it up?" Fowler inquired.

"_These relics survived interstellar travel. I'm sure they can survive molten… Oh scrap!_"

"What is it?" Fowler asked.

* * *

"I'm leaking Energon. Insecticon hit me hard," Bulkhead grumbled to himself as he noticed the trail of Energon he was leaving.

"_Insecticon?!_"

Bulkhead took note at the sound of worry laced in his voice. Clearly, Fowler hasn't been able to forget what happened with Arcee, Jack and Talida on Cybertron. Insecticons have been the reason that Talida gave the order for Ratchet to shut down the Space Bridge and leave them stranded on Cybertron. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen to Bulkhead.

"Probably knocked a gasket loose. Don't worry about it. Trust me. He's in way worse shape then I am," Bulkhead promised.

* * *

Hardshell groaned as he came to, the burning sensation of pain greeting him. Snarling in frustration, he refused to believe it. A Wrecker got the best of him. One fractured fang, a bout of unconsciousness and a processor ache were the results of their brief battle. A battle in which the Wrecker emerged the victor. That was something Hardshell did not like.

"The Wrecker left me alive. The last mistake he'll ever make," Hardshell vowed to his fellow Insecticons as he rose to his feet.

With those words said, Hardshell transformed into his bug form and took to the skies. Too much time had been wasted. Bulkhead already had a head start on them. He had time to make up for. And besides…

He had unfinished business with the former Wrecker.

* * *

Just when Bulkhead wasn't able to find anything, he found something. He had to reverse back as he almost drove past it. Transforming, he noticed the familiar container sticking out among the rocks. That was when he knew the obvious.

"There you are," Bulkhead smirked as he approached it.

He didn't waste anytime trying to pull the whole container free from the rocks. Instead, he focused on freeing the lid from the container itself and take the relic. After a few moments of struggle, the lid came off with a snap that knocked Bulkhead flat on his back.

"Got the lid off," Bulkhead shrugged as he tossed it aside.

Then he looked inside. He would be able to recognize this relic anywhere. He would be able to recognize the green smoke. He was able to recognize the hot green crystals. He was able to recognize the smell. He was able to recognize the sensation.

And he knew it was dangerous.

"Uh-oh. _Base, we have a problem._"

"Bulkhead, what is it?" Fowler demanded.

"_I found the relic. It's a cash of Energon._"

"That's good, right?" Fowler guessed.

* * *

"No, no, no. Not this kind. It's known as ToxEn. Causes nausea and dizziness upon contact. Prolonged exposure weakens us to the point of paralysis. And then…it snuffs out our sparks," Bulkhead announced gravely.

"_Well, what are you talking to me for?! Get far away from that ToxEn pronto! If it's as deadly as they say, the 'Cons won't want it either!_"

"No! They'll want it even more!" Bulkhead protested before recalling a story, "During the war for Cybertron, Megatron figured out a way to refine raw ToxEn and turn it into a weapon of mass destruction. I witnessed an entire unit be wiped out by the sickness! It started the chain reaction for Rayna when she almost died before Orion Pax became Optimus Prime! No way I can leave this stuff for the 'Cons to find and abuse!"

* * *

"So bring it back here! Raf, open a GroundBridge!" Fowler instructed the twelve-year-old.

"_Forget it! _Even if we had a safe place to store it, the stuff's way to potent to risk exposing to the rest of us! And for Talida, she'd be comatose after taking a whiff! I'll call you back," Bulkhead sighed as he glanced at the area around him, "I'm going to need to take care of this. Wrecker style."

Bulkhead smirked to himself as he pulled out a grenade he always carried with him. The fact he has been spending way much time with Wheeljack became clear.

* * *

"There!" Hardshell snarled as he went to make a landing.

He and his fellow Insecticons had followed Bulkhead's Energon trail to where the relic had been buried. To their surprise, it had already been unearthed. Normally, Hardshell would find this too suspicious and would question the circumstances. However, this opportunity was also one that was too good to simply pass up. Nevertheless, he approached with extreme caution, as he didn't know which relic was housed inside the container.

Carelessly, one Insecticon pushed the other two to the side and opened the container. Inside, he saw the glowing ToxEn crystals. Immediately, he reached down to take it, hoping he would be able to leave a trap for Bulkhead if he hadn't found it yet. Then he heard the beeping.

"NO! WAIT!" Hardshell cried.

His warning came too late. The grenade Bulkhead left detonated with a mighty bang. The force of the explosion was hard enough to knock the Insecticons back and force the ToxEn shards into the Insecticon who opened the container. Hardshell blocked his nose and mouth as he saw and spelt the ToxEn on his body.

"ToxEn!" Hardshell gasped.

* * *

"_Wait! You're carrying it?! I thought that stuff was toxic!_"

Yep. Fowler had heard Bulkhead right. Bulkhead was currently racing up the hills towards the volcano that he knew was nearby. Here's the catch:

He was carrying the ToxEn.

"It is! But I need to put some distance between me and the bugs!" Bulkhead said.

"_Well…what now?_"

"I'm going to get rid of this steaming pile the only way that I know can!" Bulkhead decreed as he placed the ToxEn on the ground and glanced at the volcano in the distance, "I'm going to lob it into the volcano!"

"_What about your insect problem?!_"

Wiping the Energon that continued to drip from the corner of his mouth, Bulkhead shrugged, "This isn't the first time I've eluded an enemy patrol, you know."

With those words said, he spat some Energon that was filling in his mouth onto the rocky terrain. A plan was beginning to form inside his head. He just hoped it would work.

* * *

Hardshell and the two surviving Insecticons saw the third Insecticon writhe around squealing in pain. It was no secret that ToxEn provided a painful death. That was why Megatron enjoyed using ToxEn on the Autobots during the war. That was also part of the reason the Autobots confiscated the supply from them.

"Lord Megatron, _the object we seek! It is ToxEn!_"

"Exactly how much is in your possession?" Megatron inquired.

Megatron had to admit. ToxEn interested him more than the phase shifter, Apex Armor and the Resonance Blaster that Knock Out, Dreadwing and Soundwave were chasing after respectively.

"_None, my lord! An Autobot-!_"

"Are you not the fiercest Insecticon?" Megatron asked dryly.

* * *

"Wait. You're moving away from the volcano?" Fowler observed in confusion as he saw Bulkhead's signal move away from the volcano.

"_Exactly._"

* * *

Hardshell and the two surviving Insecticons continued their search for Bulkhead. That is, until they noticed the blobs of bright blue Energon staining the ground.

"Below!" Hardshell cried as they flew towards the ground.

When they transformed and landed, they saw what Hardshell had noticed. They, too, saw the Energon on the floor. Hardshell dipped his claw into the Energon and tasted it. It was then that he knew whose Energon it was.

"Yes… The Wrecker leaked from his wounds. Find him," Hardshell instructed.

Without another word said, the two Insecticons began following the trail. Eventually, Hardshell followed. For him, this was too good to be true.

If only he knew it was a fake trail and it would lead to a dead end.

* * *

Bulkhead was beginning to feel the effects of the ToxEn tied to his back. In his vehicular form, he struggled to drive over the hill towards the volcano. Eventually, he managed to rev his engine hard enough to make it over the top and drive on the flat surface.

"_So…you left a false trail, huh? _I once pulled that trick when I got separated from my unit behind enemy lines," Fowler recalled.

"_When were you behind enemy lines?_"

"I wasn't always a bot or babysitter," Fowler boasted to Bulkhead with a slight smirk.

"_Next, you're going to tell me that your mother doesn't tuck you in at night._"

* * *

"_Not since basic training._"

"Training as what? A rodeo clown?" Bulkhead asked dryly as he continued his struggle in the journey.

"_You've been spending way too much time at Monster Truck Rallies with Miko. _I was an Army Ranger. We wrecked with the best of them," Fowler recalled.

"_Who knew you and I were so much alike?_"

A series of beeps indicated that Fowler was receiving another incoming call.

"_Rafael, has Agent Fowler regained consciousness?_"

It was Optimus calling in from the Antarctic.

"Standby, Bulkhead. I'll be right back," Fowler promised before answering Optimus, "I'm here, Prime. What's your situation?"

"_I require access to a research facility at my current coordinates._"

"Let me make a call," was all Fowler said as he pulled out his cell phone.

Sometimes, being a government agent involved in highly classified operations had their perks. Other times, it was just a pain in the butt.

* * *

Bulkhead was certainly having trouble with his lengthy voyage to the volcano. The ToxEn was truly starting to take its toll on him if it hadn't done so already. He recalled everything he had told Fowler before about the expose to ToxEn. Upon initial contact, Cybertronians would being feeling dizzy and nauseous. After prolonged exposure, it weakens Cybertronians to the point of paralysis. Then if they didn't get away fast enough, they'd become one with the AllSpark. And as much as Bulkhead loved Rayna and longed to reunite with her, he knew that she wouldn't want to see him just yet. Not with everything he had left to do.

In the end, Bulkhead ended up transforming into his bipedal form. Not that it did much. The ToxEn slid off his back. Sure. But he still ended up sliding downwards. Groaning, he barely found the strength to push himself upright.

"A dirty job only a Wrecker can do," Bulkhead groaned as he stumbled to his feet and grabbed the ToxEn crystals before continuing his voyage up the hill, "Come on… Come on…"

"This is an emergency. Our satellites have detected dangerous solar flare activity. I need that entire station evacuated immediately! Do you hear me?! Get out of there! NOW!" Fowler boomed before hanging up his phone and returned to the commlink, "Base is clear, Prime. Try not to wreck the joint."

"_Many thanks, Agent Fowler._"

"Bulkhead, how are you holding up?" Fowler asked worriedly after changing frequencies.

"Any word…from Miko…or Tally?" Bulkhead wheezed worriedly as he began struggling even more.

"_Don't worry about them. Focus on your own mission._"

"Right… I need to rest… Just for a minute," Bulkhead panted.

"_I know it's tough. But I need you to stay on the course._"

Bulkhead grunted in pain as he blacked out and landed face first on the ground. Struggling to regain his senses, he began pushing himself back onto his feet. However, he struggled to stand upright and fell back against a rock behind him. The ToxEn was affecting him more than he cared to admit. He should have left it behind. But if he did, the Decepticons would have taken it and he would have had to deal with it again sometime in the future.

He had to do something.

"_Bulkhead! Bulkhead! BULKHEAD! BULKHEAD!_ BULKHEAD! ANSWER ME, YOU RUST BUCKET!" Fowler snapped as he pounded the table.

"_I'm here, Ranger._"

"You had me scared, Two-Ton," Fowler sighed in relief.

* * *

"I…I can't do it," Bulkhead panted.

"_I do NOT want to hear that kind of talk! Especially from the likes of you! We both know you made it through worse._"

That was true. He had gone through worse. The Scraplet infestation at the base and how he had to lure them out into the Arctic to rescue Optimus and Arcee. The time he encountered Starscream, Knock Out and Breakdown in Greece. He was faced with the Energon Harvester Starscream had turned onto him. The time Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf were trapped in the Shadowzone. All the times Bulkhead battled Breakdown. The time he, Miko, Arcee, Jack and Talida were trapped in the mine collapse alongside Megatron and Starscream. The time Dreadwing captured him and strapped him to a bomb in the shipping docks.

"Nah. Not worse than this. Not even Scraplets," Bulkhead objected.

"_Look, soldier. You know as well as I do there's the mission. And the reason why you take the mission!_"

"Honor… Duty…," Bulkhead recalled the reasons he took most of his missions.

"_Family. Which is why you need to do whatever it takes to finish this job and then come home safely._"

* * *

**Darkness Rising Part 3**

"_Miko, I'm supposed to be protecting you," Bulkhead stated._

"_Bulkhead, I'm trapped inside ten tons of protective muscle. I'm protected," Miko promised._

_That was all the convincing Bulkhead had needed before racing down the rocky hill. Miko let out cheers and laughter of joy at the sensations she felt through the actions. They were music to Bulkhead's ears._

**Metal Attraction**

"_Miko, check it out. New battle scars!" Bulkhead cheered, smiling as Miko whipped out her phone and took a picture._

**Darkness Rising Part 3**

"_Miko?!" Bulkhead squeaked in surprise when she saw her come out of his chest compartment._

"_I heaved on your floormats. Sorry," Miko apologized sheepishly._

**Masters and Students**

"_Before I became a warrior, I was a laborer. I can build stuff. I can break stuff," Bulkhead recalled._

_"I wanna be just like you, Bulk!" Miko decreed._

**Rock Bottom**

"_No. You need to stop. Now!" Bulkhead pleaded._

"_I can't, Bulk! I have to get you out of here!" Miko cried._

**T.M.I.**

"_Bulkhead, I know somewhere inside, you will always remember me. And I just want you to know I'll never forget you," Miko vowed._

* * *

"Tally…needs…me," Bulkhead rasped.

_Begin flashback_

"_Tally, you can't run yourself down like this. Optimus needs you," Bulkhead said._

"_Well, we don't even know where he is. So what can we do, Bulk? We're in a war. Our leader's missing. We need to find a way to survive!" Talida snapped._

"_But you can't focus so much on surviving that you end up forgetting how to live!" Bulkhead retorted, "You're sixteen years old, Talida. You need to **be** sixteen! You need to go out with your friends! Go to the mall! The park! Hell! Sneak out with Bumblebee a few times! But just be sixteen while you still have the chance, sprout!"_

"_Are you ever gonna stop calling me that?" Talida asked with a smirk._

_"Not even when you're old and grey and we're rusting away," Bulkhead laughed._

_End flashback_

"_And I'm sure Rayna doesn't want to see you until you did what you need to do._"

"Rayna…was my everything…," Bulkhead rasped as his eyes leaked lubricants, "Then she died…and I was left with nothing. Primus, I miss her so much, it hurts!"

"_How can a man have nothing when he has everything a lot of men would kill for?_"

"You're right, Fowler. I need to dig deep. For the other bots… For Rayna… For Tally… For Miko…," Bulkhead grunted as he pushed himself onto his feet.

* * *

"There is no logic to these movements," Hardshell said as he observed the Energon drops, "This trail is meant to lead us astray. To find the Wrecker, we must not follow. We must anticipate."

After following the Energon trail for a few hundred meters, Hardshell grew wise to Bulkhead's evasive tactics. Now, he and the two Insecticons who were accompanying him were going to the volcano and finished what they started.

* * *

Bulkhead grunted as he found the strength to push himself up onto the ledge. Looking down, he saw burning rocks with cracks from the lava between them. While the volcano was active, it hadn't erupted for a while. But there was a small hole from where the lava hadn't solidified.

"I'm…almost there," Bulkhead proclaimed as he walked down the small hill.

* * *

"That's right, soldier! Dump that rock and come on home!" Fowler encouraged before his cell phone rang that shrill tone once again, "Fowler. …Miko, what is it?! …What in the Sam Hill?! I'm in the middle of a crisis here! And you want me to… Uh… Put him on the line."

That call was Miko using Talida's cell phone in New York to have Fowler deal with a small problem. That problem being Vogel knowing of their secret identity.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bulkhead was coming close to putting to an end of his problems. That is…if someone didn't stand in his way.

"Wrecker!"

Looking up, Bulkhead saw the last thing he needed coming his way. And that thing was Hardshell.

"Put down the rock! And allow us to put you out of your misery!" Hardshell yelled.

At that time, the two Insecticons that were with Hardshell jumped into the volcano to stand by Hardshell. The odds were stacking up against Bulkhead. Three to one.

"Gotta swat some flies," Bulkhead grumbled.

They heard the sound of a grenade pin dropping to the floor before a bang. Bulkhead threw a live grenade at an Insecticon and it was enough to stun him. Hardshell wasn't one to back down from a fight. So he charged at Bulkhead. Using the opportunity, the former Wrecker thrust the ToxEn into his chin.

"Fair warning. I'm contagious!" Bulkhead snarled before pushing Hardshell away from him.

Bulkhead heard the sounds of the second Insecticon coming towards him. Quickly, he turned around and swatted the Insecticon with the ToxEn rock before stabbing the Insecticon with the rock.

"Hold this," Bulkhead growled, delighting in the Insecticon's dying breaths.

* * *

"Mr. Vogel, this is Special Agent William Fowler of the United States Government. You are hereby deputized as an honorary special agent for the Department of, er, Interstellar Relations," Fowler decreed before hanging up the phone and reopening the commlink, "Bulkhead, you still with me?"

"_I'm in the scrap_ and you put me on hold?!" Bulkhead said in disbelief.

"_I want you to know. Miko and Talida are safe. Mission: accomplished._"

"That's my girls," Bulkhead smirked before lunging at Hardshell.

Now that he knew Miko and Talida were safe, he found the strength to fight. Using that strength, he took multiple swipes at the fierce Insecticon. Hardshell took advantage of Bulkhead's weakened state and managed to land some hits himself. But very much like Hardshell, Bulkhead wouldn't go down without a fight.

Turning around, they saw the Insecticon stand up and remove the ToxEn from his chassis before falling down.

"Stay down. Contact the warship for a containment unit," Hardshell instructed.

When Bulkhead took a swipe at Hardshell, he punched the Autobot in the head. Hard. When he fell down, Bulkhead cried out in pain and clutched his helm. His vision was hazy. He struggled to make out the shape of Hardshell approaching. With a shake of the helm, he managed to snap out of it.

"_Bulkhead! Do you read?!_"

* * *

"Ratchet! Come here!" Raf called to Ratchet, who was just returning from his own relic hunt.

"Bulkhead! Please respond!" Fowler pleaded.

"The Iacon Database?!" Ratchet gasped in surprise and joy.

"It's downloading into our mainframe!" Raf cheered.

"Answer me, soldier!" Fowler begged.

Ratchet let out a few laughs of glee before proclaiming, "Rafael, you are a genius!"

"WILL YOU KEEP IT DOWN?!" Fowler finally snapped.

Raf and Ratchet turned to face their government liaison in shock and disbelief. Disbelief because of the fact that this tiny human just randomly snapped at them. And shock because of how long it took them to realize that something was wrong.

* * *

"Your spark is mine, Wrecker," Hardshell vowed as he approached Bulkhead.

With a roar, Hardshell raised his hands and prepared to deliver the fatal blow. Quickly, Bulkhead managed to move out of the way at the last possible moment. Grabbing his fangs, Bulkhead threw Hardshell across the top of the volcano. The Insecticon landed next to the ToxEn rock that was in the other Insecticon moments before. Hardshell grunted in pain as Bulkhead pushed him closer to the rock.

"Do you want a taste of this?! DO YA?!" Bulkhead growled dangerously.

He let the Insecticon regain his footing…only to unfold his hammer and strike. The blow was enough to cause Hardshell to stumble to the edge of the molten rocks.

"CATCH!"

Looking up, he saw Bulkhead lob the remainder of the ToxEn rock at him. Hardshell managed to catch it. But that catch came with a heavy price. The force of Bulkhead's lob was enough to knock the Insecticon into the volcano. ToxEn and all. Bulkhead panted, wheezed and grunted as he struggled to reach the hole. The ToxEn was gone. But the effects of the prolonged exposure were still there. Looking down, he saw the ToxEn disintegrate and disappear under the hot lava.

"Fowler…mission accomplished," Bulkhead proclaimed, "But you may have to tuck me in."

* * *

"Raf, open a bridge! NOW!" Fowler barked.

Raf didn't waste anymore time. He raced to his laptop and typed in the necessary commands. After hearing from Fowler what Bulkhead was going through, he knew that time is of the essence. Hearing from Ratchet how fatal ToxEn was made it worse. Bulkhead was going to need treatment. And fast.

* * *

Grunting and wheezing, Bulkhead stumbled towards the open GroundBridge. The white light acting like a beacon that was calling on him to return home. And it was a call he would be more then happy to answer.

However, behind him, Hardshell was climbing out of the lava pool he was pushed into. He had one final chance to finish this once and for all. And he would take it. Transforming his hand into a blaster, he fired that shot. That one, fatal shot.

Bulkhead cried out in pain as he felt the burning sensation hit him in the back. The shot that Hardshell hit him with gave a whole new meaning to the saying, 'stabbed in the back.'

Fowler, Ratchet and Raf watched in horror as Bulkhead flew through the GroundBridge. Unconscious. Back emitting pillars of orange flame and thick black smoke. Fowler and Raf immediately raced to the nearest balcony. Fowler was taking it worse than Raf. He was talking to the former Wrecker just before. While he was at his worse, Bulkhead was able to take it all in stride. But this? Even Fowler wasn't sure that he would be able to survive.

"NO!" Ratchet gasped in horror.

Quickly, all three of them raced to Bulkhead's unconscious form. How did this happen?

Will he survive?

"_And as we lie beneath the stars,  
__We realize how small we are.  
__If they could love like you and me,  
__Imagine what the world could be._

_If everyone cared and nobody cried,  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied,  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died…_

_If everyone cared and nobody cried,  
__If everyone loved and nobody lied,  
__If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,  
__Then we'd see the day when nobody died…_

_We'd see the day. We'd see the day…  
__(When nobody died…)_

_We'd see the day. We'd see the day…  
__(When nobody died…)_

_We'd see the day…  
__When nobody died…_"

* * *

**BY THE ALLSPARK!**

**Even though I've seen this episode multiple times, I still can't believe it.**

**HERE'S THE PROMO FOR HURT WHILE I RECOVER FROM THE SHOCK OF HAVING TO WRITE THIS!**

* * *

_**Show Fowler holding Miko back**_

_**Show Jack holding Talida back**_

_Optimus: There's nothing more you can do for Bulkhead at this present time._

_Talida: Bullshit!_

Wheeljack: You gonna tell me who did this to him?

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Miko: We know who did it._

_Talida: Take us with you and we'll tell you everything you want to know._

_**Show Wheeljack attacking a Decepticon**_

_**Show Hardshell racing down the hall**_

_**Show Miko and Talida narrowly avoiding an attack**_

_**Show an Energon mine exploding**_

_**Show Wheeljack attacking Hardshell**_

_Talida and Miko: WHEELJACK!_

_**Show Hardshell attacking**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

_Talida: It's time to squash some bugs…_

* * *

**Talida's got that one right. Don't worry. I won't keep you waiting that long… Well, I'll try not to anyway.**

**BYE!**


	13. Hurt

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker:** _**CURSE YOU HARDSHELL! I swear after watching that episode I neay cried. Well one tear fell but can ya blame me? Anyway update soon because Talida, Miko, and Wheeljack are going to kick some Insecticon tailpipe!**_

**Amen, brother!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**So it's like… They will do it, but you won't write it! Like what they do in teen drama shows, they do it, but never show it!**_

**Exactly!**

**Bee4ever:** _**Good chappie! When I saw that episode, I thought Bulkhead was going to die!**_

**Who didn't?**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Out of all the relic hunt episodes, THIS one is the most intense! The first time I saw it, I was getting goosebumps the whole time! PLEASE update ASAP!**_

**Chill out, dude. I'll update.**

**tfp-fan: **_**when I saw this episode, I thought Bulkhead was gonna die! But who didn't? D:**_

_**Talida's gonna try and get revenge too? Even after sparing airachnid's life? Oh, god, I hope she realizes that even if they do kill hardshell, it won't make bulkhead's condition any different!  
**_

_**Please update when you can!**_

**Er… It's Talida. What did you expect?**

**transformersfan: **_**BULKHEAD, NOOO! D:**_

_**Talida's gonna try and get revenge on Hardshell too? Oh, come on! I get that she cares about Bulkhead, so do I, but come on! You'd think with her last encounter with Airachnid, se would've actually learned a thing or two about why you don't need revenge and how it won't bring back the ones you love! But no! She's gonna be a dumbass and go through with it anyway!**_

**Just think about two things. What if she's still traumatized after the events in Fading Light? And…what if I decided to have Talida go on that mission rather than Bulkhead and that was her fighting for her life on that slab? What do you think Bulkhead would do out of guilt and need for revenge?**

**yorkmaniac89: **_**I always hated the last part of this episode. It always got me mad**_

**Get in line, pal.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Eek! Insecticons are creepy! Please update!**_

**Hey! Feel sorry for me! I have to write them!**

**haloangel21: **_**Okay. I just the loved the part where Bulkhead forcibly threatens to kill Hardshell by shoving the ToxEN in his face while Hardshell tried to flee from it. :D**_

_**Next episode will be sad…where are the damn tissues? **__***sniffles**__*****_**  
**

**Right here. *****hands over tissues***** I've been needing them since last chapter.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belong to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Shadow of the Day**_** rightfully belong to Linkin Park and their respective record label.**

**I know the lyrics to **_**Shadow of the Day**_** off by heart! It might be because of the amount of time I listened to it during and after my plane ride to LA in September. What can I say? I love the song about as much as I hate Hardshell for what he did to Bulkhead and Hawaiian Airlines for their lousy service!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_I closed both locks before your window.  
__I closed both blinds and turn away.  
__Sometimes, solutions aren't so simple.  
__Sometimes, goodbye's the only way…  
__Oh-oh-oh..._

_And the sun…  
__Will set for you…  
__The sun…|  
__Will set for you…_

_And the shadow of the day…  
__Will embrace the world in grey…  
__And the sun…  
__Will set for you…_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_Bulkhead, prepare for departure," Optimus instructed, "Rafael and Agent Fowler will be your communications and transportation hub."_

"_Who is the fiercest among you?" Megatron asked._

"_I am Hardshell," Hardshell introduced himself._

"_You will retrieve something for me," Megatron proclaimed._

"_ToxEn!" Hardshell snarled._

"_You're carrying it?!" Bulkhead heard Fowler exclaim in disbelief over the radio, "I thought that stuff was toxic!"_

"Your spark is mine, Wrecker!" Hardshell vowed.

"_CATCH!" Bulkhead challenged as he lobbed both the ToxEn and Hardshell into the volcano._

"_That's right, soldier! Come on home!" Fowler cried as Bulkhead walked through the GroundBridge._

"_The Wrecker left me alive. The last mistake he'll ever make," Hardshell spat before firing the fatal shot at the retreating Bulkhead._

"_No!" Ratchet gasped in horror after seeing the unconscious and injured Bulkhead fly through the GroundBridge._

By the time Arcee, Jack, Talida, Miko and Bumblebee managed to find their way out of the subway system, night had rolled over the Big Apple and the city was coming to life. Trying not to be seen, the five of them drove to the rendezvous point. When they arrived, the GroundBridge appeared and they raced through it. Jack and Talida were riding Arcee. Miko was being driven around by Bumblebee. That meant that poor Bumblebee had to endure Miko's heavy metal torture. When the music came on, Bumblebee couldn't help but think to himself.

Where's Bulkhead when you need him?

"Hey!" Miko cried in protest when Bumblebee cut off the music, earning bleeps in response, "Let me guess. You and Raf spend all of your driving time listening to chip tunes?"

"_Wha…?_" Bumblebee bleeped in confusion.

"And I bet whenever you're with Tally, you have to listen to Linkin Park. I've taught her well," Miko smirked to herself as she reclined back in her seat, "Well, it's been fun! But I'm ready to get back to my regularly scheduled partner, Bulk-AHH!"

Arcee and Bumblebee suddenly skidded to a stop as they drove back into the base. The eyes of Miko, Jack and Talida widened in horror at the sight before them. Miko and Talida couldn't abandon their respective rides fast enough.

They saw Ratchet working on a patient on the ground with shock paddles. The patient, they realized, was Bulkhead. And to make the horror of the situation even worse, they noticed that Bulkhead wasn't responding to the Energon shocks.

"Bulkhead! Respond!" Ratchet pleaded.

"Oh my God!" Talida gasped in horror.

"Bulkhead?" Miko whimpered.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_In cards and flowers on your window,  
__Your friends all plead for you to stay.  
__Sometimes, beginnings aren't so simple.  
__Sometimes, goodbye's the only way…  
__Oh-oh-oh…_

_And the sun…  
__Will set for you…  
__The sun…  
__Will set for you…_

_And the shadow of the day…  
__Will embrace the world in grey…  
__And the sun…  
__Will set for you…_"

"BULKHEAD!" Miko cried as she raced forward, only to have Fowler hold her back.

"NO!" Talida screamed as she raced forward.

"LIDA! STAY BACK!" Jack warned as he raced ahead and grabbed her arms to hold her back.

"What happened?!" Miko demanded.

"ToxEn exposure…among other things," Ratchet muttered the last part as he began scanning Bulkhead, "Bulkhead has suffered a complete systems failure."

"Hold on. ToxEn?!" Arcee repeated in disbelief.

"That stuff's almost as fatal as the Cybonic Plague!" Talida gasped in horror, "If not, more!"

"Help me get him into the medical bay! NOW!" Ratchet snapped.

Jack and Fowler continued to hold Talida and Miko back as they saw Arcee and Bumblebee race forward. Even when they divided Bulkhead's dead weight between them, they still couldn't find the strength to fully lift him up. His feet were scraping across the floor and they could hear his joints groaning against the treatment.

"No!" Miko cried.

"Let me go!" Talida snapped as she elbowed Jack in the stomach and raced forward.

"If we hadn't gone to New York…," Miko trailed off.

"There's nothing either of you could have done! Hardshell sucker punched the big lug while he was down!" Fowler blurted.

"Hardshell?!" Talida repeated in horror and disbelief.

"Who's Hardshell?" Miko demanded.

"Some Insecticon. It doesn't matter. The point is: it's neither of your faults!" Fowler reassured them.

"But it is mine!" Talida said, "Because that was supposed to be my mission! Bulkhead took my place so I could go with Jack, Miko, Arcee and Bumblebee to New York! It should be me heading into that medical bay! NOT BULKHEAD!"

"Talida, you went to New York because you were the only one who truly knew the place. Bulkhead understands, and I'm sure he's glad he went instead of you. There was no way you could've known that what happened would've happened. So stop blaming yourself and understand it isn't your fault! Got it?" Fowler said.

"Got it," Talida and Miko muttered as they walked away.

They walked to the edge of the med bay, where they saw Ratchet, Arcee and Bumblebee desperately working to keep Bulkhead alive. Jack wrapped his arms around Talida and Miko's shoulders and pulled them close while Raf squeezed Talida's hand. For Miko and Talida, it didn't change anything.

Bulkhead was still fighting for his life. They weren't able to do anything about it…yet.

* * *

"How is this POSSIBLE?!" Megatron boomed to Hardshell, Knock Out, Dreadwing and Soundwave, "Four relics each within our grasp! And yet only Soundwave has returned with something other than an excuse! Tell me, Hardshell. What is yours?"

"I have none, my lord," Hardshell confessed as he bowed to his master, "We failed to retrieve the ToxEn. But the green Autobot has been terminated."

"Then perhaps this day is not lost after all," Megatron mused.

"If that is true!" Knock Out cut in, "It has been a while since anyone extinguished an Autobot spark!"

"Because it has been a while since an Insecticon warrior has had to opportunity to do so!" Hardshell retorted.

"Really?" Knock Out drawled disbelievingly, "What about on Cybertron while Arcee, Talida and their human pet went to retrieve the Matrix of Leadership? Didn't your sentries match up to the task? Also, the bug under my recent command was utterly useless!"

"ENOUGH!" Megatron snapped, ending the growing tension and the potential argument between Hardshell and Knock Out, "Hardshell, are you certain that the Autobot known as Bulkhead has been exterminated?"

"By my very own hand, Lord Megatron," Hardshell boasted proudly.

If only they knew how wrong Hardshell was…

* * *

For Talida and Miko, the sight before them was sickening to say the least. Seeing Bulkhead hooked up to many machines and monitors that would help him do the simplests of tasks. Ratchet hooking him up to even more monitors, thinking that the ones he was already hooked up to weren't enough. Bumblebee watching on in worry ready to help if needed. Arcee monitoring Bulkhead's declining vitals. Optimus watching over the entire situation and comforting his distraught son.

Looking up, they saw Fowler standing in the area where they hang out whenever they were here on his cell phone. Immediately, they knew that something was wrong. And it wasn't just the situation Bulkhead was in.

"Yes, sir," Fowler sighed before hanging his phone and turning to face Optimus, "Turns out highlights of your Big Apple adventure got caught on security tape. The Pentagon needs me to run interference with the mayor. I tried to stall. But…"

"Go where you're needed, Agent Fowler. There is nothing more you can do for Bulkhead at this time," Optimus rumbled.

"Bullshit," Talida muttered in anger.

"Keep me posted, Prime. I mean it. On both of them," was Fowler's request before he glanced worriedly at Talida and left.

"Wheeljack's on his way," Arcee announced.

That caused Miko and Talida to perk up from where they were sitting. Immediately, they stood up and raced to the balcony.

"I can't believe you're giving up on Bulkhead already!" Miko snapped.

"All I meant is that Bulkhead and Wheeljack are close. I thought he'd want to be here," Arcee reasoned.

"We know what you meant," Talida muttered as she and Miko stormed off.

"Where are you going?" Optimus asked worriedly.

"Home while Fowler can still give us a lift," Miko answered as the two left.

Arcee immediately went to go after them. But when she felt the warm, gentle, loving hand of her spark mate on her shoulder, she had to stop.

"They need time," was all Optimus said.

* * *

After long, tireless hours, Ratchet sighed before turning to face the others,

"Bulkhead is stable for the moment. But I've had to induce stasis."

No sooner then had Ratchet said the words, they heard the sounds of an approaching engine. A sporty engine. Turning towards the entrance of the base, they saw Wheeljack approaching at rapid speeds in his vehicle form. He hadn't even finished pulling up before he transformed at rapid pace. He transformed so fast that he flew in the air and had to land on his feet.

"What's the damage, doc?" Wheeljack asked bluntly.

"Bulkhead suffered massive trauma to his central neural conduit," Ratchet answered.

"I've watched you work. You're a maestro," Wheeljack complimented, hoping that there was something that Ratchet could do to fix Bulkhead.

"The ToxEn exposure has caused system-wide shutdown on a submichronic level. I can't even begin to operate until he gains some strength," Ratchet announced gravely.

"You gonna tell me who did this to him?" Wheeljack immediately asked Optimus, his face remaining stoic.

"At the moment, I believe it is best to focus our attention on Bulkhead's recovery, rather than revenge," Optimus responded in a somewhat neutral, robotic voice as he gently passed Cayden on to his mother, satisfied in being able to at least have him slip into recharge.

"You do that," Wheeljack growled as he transformed and drove away.

"Wheeljack will most likely do something rash, you know," Ratchet warned Optimus.

"And I'm not sure we could stop him if we wanted to," Optimus confessed.

* * *

Optimus and Ratchet were correct. Ratchet was correct because Wheeljack did do something rash. He boarded the Jackhammer and took to the skies, hoping to begin his search for the one who did this to Bulkhead and extract his revenge. Optimus was correct because even if they wanted to stop him, they couldn't. Wheeljack is too stubborn. When he's focused on a mission, he doesn't stop until he sees it through.

After putting his ship on autopilot, he heard a series of quiet bangs. Wrecker instinct grappled him as he whirled around with his blaster at the ready. To his surprise, he saw Miko and Talida standing there casually. How they snuck aboard, he didn't know. And right now, he didn't care.

"What are you two doing here?" Wheeljack asked.

"Going after the 'Con who hurt Bulkhead," Miko answered as she and Talida stepped forward, "You in?"

"I'm taking you back," Wheeljack decided as he went to turn around.

"No! Wait!" Talida pleaded.

"Look. I get it. You want payback. You and me both," Wheeljack said as the girls climbed up onto the passenger seat.

"Bulkhead was our partner too!" Miko reminded him.

"You weren't the only partner he ever had," Talida added, "And I was meant to go on that mission! Not Bulkhead! Me! It should be me on that slab. So excuse me for wanting to get payback on the person who should've put me on that slab."

"Trust me. When I find out which one of Megatron's goons jumped our boy, I'll take care of him my way," Wheeljack vowed as he gestured to the grenade attached to his hip.

"I know who did it," Miko announced.

"Who?" Wheeljack immediately demanded, his intentions on taking the girls back to base long forgotten.

"Take us with you and we'll tell you," Talida promised.

That was more than enough to convince Wheeljack to allow them to come along. They had something on him. Just before, he didn't even know where to start. Then Talida and Miko come aboard and announce that they know who did it.

It couldn't be better.

* * *

"You should have seen the Wrecker's face when his spark expired, knowing that he perished at the hands of a true warrior," Hardshell boasted to other Insecticons as they roamed the halls of the Nemesis, "Lord Megatron now understands that the most difficult tasks are best assigned to an Insecticon!"

Then they heard two Vehicons mutter to one another,

"Pit-bound scavengers."

"Scrap eaters."

"What did you say?!" Hardshell demanded in anger.

* * *

Inside the medical bay, Knock Out was doing what he did best. Buffing his finish. He was glad for the opportunity to buff out the scratches and scrapes he had received during his encounter with Arcee, Jack, Talida, Miko and Bumblebee in the New York subways. However, there were some parts of the task that were difficult.

"Detailing was so much easier when Breakdown and Malita were around," Knock Out grumbled to himself…before hearing the sounds of blaster fire, "What is going on out there?! How am I supposed to concentrate-AAH!"

Knock Out opened the door to his med bay only to shriek and shut it as Hardshell threw a Vehicon in his direction. When he opened it again, the Vehicon was opening fire on Hardshell, causing the Insecticon to charge at him. Quickly, the Vehicon moved out of the way…and Knock Out was knocked down by Hardshell.

"I JUST BUFFED THAT!" Knock Out gasped in anger.

* * *

"You know where to find Decepticon mines?" Miko said in disbelief as they hid behind trees near a Decepticon mine.

"You seriously don't think I've been sitting on my cans since I got on this rock," was Wheeljack's retort.

"Shouldn't we be hitting an Insecticon hive?" Talida couldn't help but ask, "Considering that the warrior that put Bulkhead in the condition he's in is an Insecticon?"

"You're just saying that because you hate Insecticons," Miko grumbled.

"That to," Talida couldn't help but admit.

"The bugs are bound by a single mind. Trying to draw just one of them out would be impossible. So we're going to make some noise," Wheeljack smirked.

"And get the 'Cons to hand over Hardshell," Miko snarled.

"Now the two of you can sneak in and scope the place out a whole lot better than I can," Wheeljack smirked.

"I'll go," Talida decided as she whipped out her cell phone, "I'll keep in touch with Miko via video chat so you can see the mine."

"Be careful, Tally," Miko pleaded.

* * *

With the jobs decided, Talida walked into the mine and began recording. Through the video chat, Miko could see what Talida would see in the mine. Likewise with Wheeljack.

"We've got five, maybe six, troopers in the main cavern," Talida observed quietly, "And two more keeping an eye on things from the second floor."

"_Good job, Rayna. Keep going._"

"_Why do you keep calling Tally Rayna?_"

"_It's a long story._"

"There's another chamber," Talida saw as she hid behind a rock near the chamber and zoomed in, "Looks like it's a storage chamber. They're not mining anything from here."

Then the sound of static met her ears.

"Wheeljack! Miko! You there?!"

_BANG!_

Talida screamed as she narrowly avoided being crushed by a Vehicon thrown in her direction. Looking up, she saw Wheeljack coming in attacking Vehicons. Looking behind her, she saw Miko approaching her current position. As the younger Japanese girl helped her to her feet, she didn't hesitate to start firing upon Miko multiple questions that she knew the answer to because of how well she knew her.

"Did Wheeljack tell you to stay in the Jackhammer?" Talida asked somewhat knowingly.

"Yep," Miko nodded.

"And you came anyway," Talida sighed.

"Yep," Miko repeated.

"I love you," Talida smiled as the two shared a hug, "Look out."

The two girls ducked as a Vehicon appeared from nowhere and began opening fire on Wheeljack. Wheeljack easily stabbed the Vehicon with his swords and kick him away. As another Vehicon approached, Talida unsheathed her own sword and decided to join in on the fight. Moments later, the fight was other.

"Now what?" Miko asked.

"We give Megatron a shout," Wheeljack smirked.

* * *

"Just look what they've done!" Knock Out whined as he gestured to his scratched up body.

"Spare me the dramatics, Knock Out," Megatron sighed in frustration, "It's merely a scratch."

"This isn't about me, Lord Megatron! The Insecticons are creating distension among the ranks! These savages are a threat to this warship and its crew! They should be confined! Restrained, even!" Knock Out snapped.

"You could not produce strong enough restraints to hold us!" Hardshell retorted.

"Lord Megatron, we're receiving an emergency transmission from Energon Mine T1C5," a Vehicon announced.

"What seems to be the problem?" Megatron wanted to know.

"Unclear, my liege. The caller will speak only to you," the Vehicon answered as Megatron approached the computer.

"What is it?" Megatron demanded as he answered the incoming call.

"_I've gotta admit, Uncle. It's a nice operation that you have here. However, if you wanna go technical, you could say it's under new management._"

"Ah… My dear niece. Been well?" Megatron inquired, causing most of the ship to cringe at how…nice he sounded, "I never knew you to be one to personally hold a mine. Unless…you're with a certain former Wrecker who enjoys explosives…"

"_What can I say, uncle? I'm willing to go to great lengths to protect my family. Even go out on a bout of vengeance. But right now, we're sitting on one of the biggest mining operations you own._"

"The loss of one asset is hardly a blow to the Decepticon cause, my dear niece. _You should know that better than anyone._"

Wheeljack, Talida and Miko were sitting inside the Jackhammer as they made the call. Just before, they decided that Talida should be the one to make the request, considering how much she hates Insecticons, how much she wants to avenge Bulkhead and her relationship with Megatron as his niece.

"That may be so, Uncle. But you guys have Energon mines worldwide. And Wheeljack and I are gonna keep hitting them. One by one. _Unless you give us what we want._"

"And what, prey tell, would that be, my dear niece?" Megatron asked dryly.

"_The Insecticon scum who tried to frag my godfather. Hardshell, I believe his name is._"

"Tried?!" Megatron repeated as he went to glare at Hardshell, "Are you saying the Autobot lives?!"

"She is bluffing!" Hardshell protested.

"_I hardly bluff, you pit-bound scum. And I'm sure my uncle would vouch for that. Here's how it's going to go down. Wheeljack will transmit the coordinates of our next target. If Hardshell cares to meet us there, maybe he can save you from losing another asset._ Oh! My dear uncle, in case you were wondering what three tons of exploding Energon sounds like," Talida smirked before turning to face Wheeljack, "Go ahead."

"With pleasure," Wheeljack smirked as he hit the red button on the controls.

Two missiles were launched from both sides of the Jackhammer. Their target was the mine they just raided. As they flew away, the missiles flew into the mine and destroyed their target.

_KA-BOOM!_

"The choice is up to you, Uncle. _Allow another Energon mine to be blown sky high. Or have Hardshell face the harsh reality. We'll be waiting at the coordinates of our next target. If Hardshell is a no-show…well, I think you know what would happen._"

"You allowed the Autobot TO LIVE?!" Megatron roared at Hardshell in anger and disbelief.

"Hmph. Bugs. Not all they cracked up to be," Knock Out scoffed with a smirk.

"Lord Megatron! I swear upon the AllSpark the Autobot could not have survived his wounds!" Hardshell defended as Megatron approaching menacingly.

"You owe me a spark! And if it's not the one belonging to Bulkhead, it had better be my niece's partner in crime!" Megatron snarled.

"What of your niece, Lord Megatron? Should I exterminate her spark as well?" Hardshell inquired.

"NO YOU SHALL NOT!" Megatron boomed, "I want my niece to be left alive! When I do get my hands on her and have her in Decepticon custody, I shall deal with her then. But for now, she is to be left alive! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

* * *

As they flew towards the coordinates of the next Decepticon mine they would blow if Hardshell didn't show up, Wheeljack decided to check on his passengers. Miko and Talida were leaning against the passenger seat struggling to stay awake. He noticed by the way they were yawning and nodding off on occasion.

"Maybe you two ought to power down for a while," Wheeljack suggested.

"We're good," Miko shook her head.

"He's gonna make it, right?" Talida asked the question that was looming on everyone's minds.

"No kidding, Rayna. Bulkhead's the toughest wrecking ball I've ever known. And Ratchet's a great doc. The best," Wheeljack reassured his friend.

"Yeah. There's no way Bulkhead would miss all the stuff we have planned. Car sledding. Worldwide smashathon," Miko began listing.

"The Linkin Park concert in a few months. Backstage passes and everything," Talida added before saying sheepishly, "We kinda made a list of things we want to do."

"Bulkhead's too stubborn not to pull through. I know it. And I bet you do too," Wheeljack smirked.

When he looked at them again, he saw that the girls had fallen asleep. Miko's back was pressed against Talida's front. Talida had her arms wrapped around the younger girl, holding her close and Miko was tightly clinging to her arms. Wheeljack let out a small sigh of relief. At least they were asleep.

In silence, Wheeljack flew the Jackhammer towards the next Decepticon mine, more than eager to keep either word he has made within the last 24 hours. Promises to himself that he would avenge Bulkhead by destroying Hardshell. Promises to Megatron that he would blow up the mine if Hardshell didn't show. Promises to himself that he would keep Talida and Miko safe whatever it takes. The first and third promise because he truly loved Bulkhead, Talida and Miko. Bulkhead, because he's been like the brother he's never had since…well, forever. Talida and Miko, because they were like his sisters, or even, his own daughters. And the second promise…well, if there's one thing he enjoys, it's blowing stuff up.

"We're up!" Miko gasped as they woke up to the sensation of Wheeljack landing the Jackhammer.

"What's the plan?" Talida asked.

"Talida, if anything happens to me, press this button. I've preprogrammed the autopilot to take you and Miko back to Prime's base," Wheeljack announced as he pointed to the blue button.

"What?! No way! You had a deal! You said we could help!" Miko protested.

"And you did. But it ends here," Wheeljack proclaimed as he stood up.

"This is our fight too, Wheeljack. Not just yours. Don't try to keep us out of it!" Talida pleaded.

"Sorry, Rayna. But Bulkhead's gonna wake up. And he'll file off my rubies if his goddaughter and best friends aren't there when he does," Wheeljack retorted, "And I don't want to lose my best friend's partner and I don't want to lose the person who reminds me so much of my little sister."

"Rayna's your sister?!" Miko stuttered in disbelief.

"Very much like Optimus and Megatron were, we were separated by the caste and guild system designed by Sentinel Prime. I wasn't reunited with my little sister until Megatron captured her and Bulkhead and I were in charge of her rescue," Wheeljack recalled before shaking himself out of the memory of his dead sister, "Look, Talida. Promise me you'll get Miko out of here if I tell you to."

"I can't make promises like that," Talida sighed, "Because I'm going with you."

"No you're not. Stay here," Wheeljack instructed before walking out and shutting the door.

"WHEELJACK!" Miko called.

"WAIT!" Talida pleaded as the two raced to the door.

* * *

"You in there, bug?!" Wheeljack yelled into the mine.

Wheeljack barely managed to back away from the entrance to the mine in time. Hardshell jumped from the top of the mine, intending to crush Wheeljack in his vehicle form. The former Wrecker quickly raced forward, transform into his bipedal form and kicked Hardshell in the chest with both feet. The force of the kick sent Hardshell flying into the mine.

Planning to use his signature, Wheeljack reached for his grenade and threw it. However, he didn't get the chance to activate it before he was knocked back.

"Thanks to your crippled friend, I am all too familiar with your Wrecker moves," Hardshell proclaimed as he went to hit Wheeljack, only to have him backflip away.

Wheeljack wasn't going to stop. Not until Hardshell was on his knees begging for mercy. He unsheathed his swords and continued his attack. Something that pleased Wheeljack was that…

He was actually winning.

"What's the matter, Hardshell? Not used to fighting a robot who hasn't been doused with ToxEn?!" Wheeljack snarled, his anger fueling each attack he made against Hardshell.

Hardshell then grabbed his sword and growled in retaliation at the angry 'Bot, "Talk during battle is a sign of weakness."

"Only when you're too primitive to do two things at once!" Wheeljack retorted.

As Wheeljack blocked one of Hardshell's big arm attacks, he didn't factor in his regular hands. He cried out in pain as he was knocked back hard enough to be sent flying. Hardshell transformed into his flying mode and continued his assault. Knocking Wheeljack around again and again.

"GO FOR THE GRENADE!" Miko called from the Jackhammer.

Wheeljack heard her voice and decided to take Miko's advice. He began crawling for the grenade. Hardshell was quick to catch on. He knew what would happen if he allowed Wheeljack to get his hands on the grenade. Because that was what he was known for. One grenade. One shot.

So he walked towards the grenade and stood on it, effectively destroying it. Looking up at the menacing look Hardshell was wearing, Wheeljack knew that he was somewhat screwed.

"WHEELJACK, WATCH OUT!" Talida cried.

But would Wheeljack back down? Not even when the Insecticon began throwing him around like a rag doll. He began tasting his own Energon in his mouth. His body was aching from the multiple hits he was receiving. He was almost done. He knew it. Hardshell knew it. And he was sure that Miko and Talida knew this too. They just didn't want to admit it.

"WHEELJACK!" Miko and Talida screamed in horror.

Holding Wheeljack up by his helm, Hardshell began punching and stabbing the defenseless former Wrecker. When he got bored with that, he simply tossed him aside. When Wheeljack found the strength to come back, he punched him hard.

Miko and Talida watched in horror as they watched Wheeljack – who was normally tough as nails, refusing to back down from a fight and was always making wisecracks – struggled to hold his body up. Let alone, stand up and fight. Wheeljack found the strength to roll himself onto his back. When he did, he saw Hardshell approaching him ready to deliver the final and fatal blow.

"No…," Miko whimpered.

"Tally…go… Get Miko out of here… Go home…," Wheeljack rasped.

"Come on," Talida whispered as she pulled Miko away.

"We're not leaving Wheeljack!" Miko protested as she shook away Talida's hands.

"I promised Wheeljack I'd keep you safe and get you out of here when he told me to," Talida retorted as she went to press the blue autopilot button.

"Just ask yourself this. Would you be leaving so willingly if that was Optimus? Or Bumblebee?!" Miko snapped

Talida froze just as her fingertips went to touch the blue button to take them back to base. Much as she somewhat hated to admit, Miko was right. If Optimus or Bumblebee were the ones fighting Hardshell in the place of Wheeljack, she wouldn't be so willing to just runaway and leave them there to die.

Then she glanced at the red button next to the blue. From what she saw back at the first Decepticon mine, she knew that button was used to fire two missiles. That caused her mind to go into overdrive.

"Your spark will now belong to Megatron," Hardshell vowed as he raised his hand to strike.

Then, he heard a strange sound. The sound of engines taking off. Looking up, he saw the Jackhammer hovering above the ground as though it was taking off. Wheeljack thought that Talida was doing what she was told and taking Miko away to safety. However, when he saw the missiles fired, he knew otherwise. Hardshell wasn't able to move out of the way in time. So the missiles struck him. His final cry of anguish echoed around the canyon in the cliffs. Wheeljack saw and felt Hardshell's body parts fall to the ground around and on him.

Talida took in a shaky breath as she removed her hand from the red missile button. She and Miko sighed in relief when they saw Wheeljack dust himself off. When he turned around, he saw the Jackhammer returning to its former position on the ground.

"Nice work, girls," Wheeljack complimented.

Hearing the sound of thudding above him, Wheeljack looked up to the tops of the cliffs. Immediately, he saw trouble. Trouble in the form of an Insecticon army.

"I hate these things," Talida growled before screaming, "WHEELJACK! RUN FOR IT!"

Wheeljack didn't need to be told twice. However, he didn't run like Talida said. He limped as the small Insecticon army began to swarm in all around them. Wheeljack barely managed to limp into the ship and sit in the pilot's seat after Miko and Talida moved out of his way and returned to their passenger seat.

"I thought I told you to hit autopilot," Wheeljack grumbled as he ignited the engines.

"Bad things happen to bots when we leave their side," was all Miko said.

Wheeljack couldn't even formulate a response to Miko's defense. In fact, he didn't have the time. So he just flew away from the Decepticon mine, leaving behind Hardshell's body scattered in many pieces. The Insecticon army followed them. Once they were high above the ground, they began opening fire on the Jackhammer. Wheeljack couldn't help but let out a small growl of frustration. He didn't fix the Jackhammer after his encounter with Laserbeak just to have it shot down again.

"Too many to pick off," Wheeljack observed as he glanced into his rearview camera, "We need something with a wider blast radius."

Wheeljack pushed the blue button and allowed the Jackhammer to go on autopilot as an idea struck him. The ship's missiles wouldn't be enough. He needed more firepower. And he knows just the thing that will do the trick. Miko and Talida watched as Wheeljack walked towards his weapon's closet and reach down to retrieve a case filled with his signature grenades.

"Wait. I thought you were one grenade, one shot," Talida protested.

"I only carry one at a time," Wheeljack clarified dryly.

He climbed up onto the roof, narrowly avoiding the blaster fire coming from the Insecticon swarm behind them. Hitting the button, he opened the case and grabbed one grenade. Then he began to have second thoughts. One grenade at a time still wouldn't be enough. He needed to throw the entire case at them.

And that was exactly what he did. Along with the blaster fire from his blasters aimed at the airborne case. To their surprise, Wheeljack's little idea worked. The detonation of the grenades caused a chain reaction, which destroyed all the Insecticons that were following them. No more Insecticons to worry about for the time being. Wheeljack liked the sound of that.

Satisfied with his good work, he returned to the Jackhammer's pilot seat. Miko and Talida glanced up at the former Wrecker, admiration and worry in their eyes. Admiration over Wheeljack's courage. Worry over Bulkhead and what everyone would say when they returned.

"Welcome to the Wreckers, girls. You two did Bulkhead proud," Wheeljack smiled happily.

"Then why don't we feel any different?" Miko wanted to know.

"It might be because of something my dad told me," Talida whispered, immediately earning Wheeljack's and Miko's attention, "When Arcee and I were going through the troubles with Airachnid, he told the two of us something. Revenge was worthless. It wasn't going to change what had happened. It wasn't going to make anything better. In fact, revenge would just make things worse. Revenge would actually have you stoop down to your enemy's level. Nothing was going to change.

And yet, I disregarded that, after last time this happened, I let Airachnid live. Granted, Arcee and I lured her into a stasis pod. But still, we let Airachnid live. But when I saw Ratchet trying to bring Bulkhead's vitals back up, I threw everything dad taught me about how revenge was meaningless out the window. All I kept on thinking was, 'It should be me lying on that slab. Not Bulkhead. Me.'

What I said was true. We were deciding who was going to go on the missions before we told Miko, Jack and Raf. Bulkhead was supposed to go to the Antarctic with Dad and I was supposed to go to the Equator. But Bulkhead didn't want me to go out on a mission by myself. Without backup. Despite me being more than capable to hold a fight and protect myself. So…we swapped missions. Dad went to the Antarctic. I went to New York. And Bulkhead went to the Equator.

God, what I wouldn't give to change all that."

"There was no way you could have known what happened today would've happened. Like Fowler said," Miko said.

"Seriously? We're taking advice from a doped up government agent who used to show up to the base with a hangover and who cries out random things when he's injured?" Talida scoffed slightly, "And I'm pretty sure that while we were gone, he exclaimed 'I CAN HAS CHEESEBURGER!'"

That caused them to laugh for the first time since learning of Bulkhead's injury.

* * *

The worry was filling the air around them as they stood in the centre of the base. They were worried about Bulkhead and whether or not he would pull through. They were also worried about Miko and Talida, considering how close they were to Bulkhead.

They heard the sounds of metal scraping against the metal ground beneath them. Turning around, they saw Wheeljack, Talida and Miko returning to the base. Wheeljack was clutching his damaged shoulder and limping due to his bad leg. Miko and Talida walked normally and casually. But they were slow and nervous.

It didn't take everyone long to figure out what the three of them had been doing. But they couldn't bring themselves to begin reprimanding the three of them. They had to worry about Bulkhead and Miko and Talida's emotional stability.

"You guys OK?" Arcee asked worriedly as she knelt down before the two girls.

"They're fine. They're pros," Wheeljack boasted.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Arcee snapped.

Wheeljack backed off slightly. Even though it's been a long time since he worked with Arcee, he still knew this. Whenever she's in her 'mother mode' as he liked to call it, anyone who dared to cross her would be punished severely.

"How is he?" Miko asked, referring to Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead will survive. He may never be fully functional again," Ratchet answered sadly.

"It should've been me," Talida whispered as she and Miko ran towards Bulkhead's weak form on the slab.

"Girls, I don't think it's wise!" Ratchet began to protest, only to be stopped by Optimus.

"I'm…I'm not sure I wanna see Bulkhead right now. Not like this," Wheeljack shook his head before promptly transforming into his vehicle form and racing away.

"We're never leaving you again," Miko vowed.

"I'm so sorry, Bulkhead. I should have gone instead of you," Talida sobbed, finally allowing her tears to fall.

Ratchet's prognosis kept on echoing in their heads as they cried together. Sure. Bulkhead would survive. But he may never be fully functional again.

How could they live with that?

* * *

Megatron stood there in contemplation as he glanced at Hardshell's broken body. When the Insecticon boasted that he had killed an Autobot, he knew it was too good to be true. As much as he hated to admit this, Knock Out was right. The Decepticons haven't been able to successfully terminate an Autobot. Not since Starscream successfully killed Cliffjumper before his return from his space voyage.

However, there was one thing that he still didn't believe.

"The Autobot did this?!" Megatron exclaimed in disbelief.

"No, my lord," the Insecticon shook his head in protest, "It was your dear niece and a human girl."

If there was something that Megatron believed more than Wheeljack being able to kill Hardshell, it was the fact that Talida and Miko were the ones who killed him.

He was now more than determined to get his hands on his niece.

"_And the shadow of the day…  
__Will embrace the world in grey…  
__And the sun…  
__Will set for you…_

_And the shadow of the day…  
__Will embrace the world in grey…  
__And the sun…  
__Will set for you…_"

* * *

**Wrote this in a day again. Do you guys love me or what?**

**No promo this time. I'm gonna do an original chapter that takes place between **_**Hurt**_** and **_**Out of the Past**_** next. Basically, it's going to be my interpretation of what happened when Bulkhead wakes up.**

**What do you think about having a 'what-if' story? You know how throughout the chapter, I mentioned how Talida was supposed to go on that mission instead of Bulkhead? Well…what if I wrote a story where Talida did go on that mission and Bulkhead went with Optimus or Ratchet and Wheeljack?**

**Or…well, I feel like lending Talida out to another author for them to use. So if you wanna write a story like that, knock yourself out. Just let me know before you do and make sure you say that Talida isn't yours and is mine. I've had enough of people stealing my story ideas (even though they've apologized and I'm greatful for that).**

**Also, because of how close we are to the end, I want to focus all of my energy on this story. So **_**Strange Beginnings**_** is going to be delayed for a while. Here's the episodes that are left:**

**1. Out of the Past  
****2. New Recruit (SMOKESCREEN'S AWESOME DEBUT!)  
****3. The Human Factor  
****4. Legacy  
****5. Alpha/Omega  
****6. Hard Knocks  
****7. Inside Job  
****8. Patch (cringe fest)  
****9. Regeneration  
****10. Darkest Hour**

**We're close to it now. I can feel it. I can taste it. Can you?**

**BYE!**

**Oh! Next chapter: MAY be a tissue warning. A very cool Linkin Park song's gonna be used.**


	14. The Messenger

**ORIGINAL CHAPTER TODAY!**

**Also, can I just put it out there that I love Whoopi Goldburg and Ellen DeGeneres?**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**I just remembered something… When Talida tried to commit suicide in 'Rising Darkness'… Was that, Tox-En that she injected herself with?**_

_**The Mandarin: Master, What else could it have been?**_

_**Yeah you're right… Or I'm right… Help me out here!**_

**Basically, what Talida tried to kill herself with was Decepticon attempts to recreate the ToxEn since the pure substance was thought to have been lost during the War for Cybertron. The stuff Bulkhead found was the pure substance that they would later refine.**

**Awesomo3000: (1) **_**Wow, you're updating very quickly now. But who's complaining? :D**_

_**Poor Miko and Talida. **__** This episode will always make me cry at the end.**_

**What can I say? I'm simply using the school holidays to my advantage. ;) Yeah. I'm always close to tears at the end of that episode.**

**(2) **_**Also, when are you planning on having Malita come in?  
**_

**Patience is a virtue. I'm just gonna say that every time someone asks, I'm delaying her return.**

**tfp-fan: **_*****__**sniffs**__*** Poor Miko and Talida… And poor Bulkhead…**_

**Yes. Poor Bulkhead.**

**devildog452: **_**So when do we get to see Malita? I wanna see how shocking everyone will see her. Especially Knockout he and Malita deserves to be together again.**_

**Her return just got delayed. Everytime someone asks, the longer it'll be delayed. At this rate, she won't return until next story.**

**lancepm: **_**wow you're on a roll.**_

**Thanks!  
**

**haloangel21: **_**I…NEED…more tissues. Next episode, Bulkhead doing the Yoga stuff. :D**_

**Hold your horses there, halo! First of all, that doesn't happen until Smokescreen joins the series. Second of all, original chapter today.**

**C.L.U: **_**No but my point is, if Optimus can't recreate the Omega Keys, how can Smokescreen(Or Talida, just saying) create that AND the Omega Lock with the Forge if he becomes a Prime?**_

**You know, if you keep on questioning everything that happens in the show and the unseen logic of it, you're gonna end up destroying the series for yourself.**

**Ninjabot01: **_**ok first thing good story 2**__**nd**__** thing bulkhead has a mace/wrecking ball and 3**__**rd**__** can the u do an in between story like the bots discussing who got wt relics and such 4**__**th**__** look forward to the next story GO AUTOBOTS**_

**First: thanks for the complement. Second: didn't know what it's name was. Thanks! Third: I'll see what I can do. Fourth: it'll be up in a few months.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**I swear if the 'Bots and 'Cons were real I would've went with Miko and Wheeljack.**_

**I would have recognized that Bulkhead needed me more and stayed with him.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**The Messenger **_**rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**The reason I chose **_**The Messenger**_** is it's one of my favourite songs from **_**A Thousand Suns**_** and one of my favourite songs by Linkin Park in general. Personally, I love how Chester sings it. I love how his voice is so raw and real. I love how he's stated that it's like a letter he's written for his kids. The message in it is so powerful. And honestly, whenever I listen to it, I'm nearly reduced to tears because of how beautiful it is. I swear if I ever go to one of their concerts and they play that song, I'm just gonna lose it and make a fool of myself.**

**OK. Well, I'm just gonna go and get this chapter underway before I end up being reduced to tears so bad that I can't write the chapter because I can't see and I'm a blubbering, fumbling, bumbling mess.  
**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

It's been a few days since the Autobots were divided for the hunt of the four relics. Only Arcee, Jack, Talida, Miko and Bumblebee came back successful when they obtained the phase shifter from Knock Out and the Insecticon accompanying him. Optimus battled Dreadwing for the Apex Armor but both of them ended up losing the armor to Starscream.

With Ratchet, Optimus ordered him to team up with Wheeljack and battle Soundwave for the Resonance Blaster. Their mission was a successful failure. Sure. They had failed to obtain the Resonance Blaster from Soundwave. However, they still managed to enjoy success with Ratchet's devious scheme. During the battle in the air, Wheeljack's missiles shot down Laserbeak. After being shot down as well, they found Laserbeak in the woods injured and realized something. They could upload a virus into Laserbeak's circuitry and when Soundwave resumed work on the Iacon Database, the virus would hack into the Decepticon mainframe and upload the Iacon Database into their own mainframe.

However, their missions brought back sadness as well.

Bulkhead suffered the worst of them all. In fact, he is still suffering from his relic hunt. He travelled to the Equator for his relic. When he arrived, he discovered that the relic he was retrieving was ToxEn, a form of Energon highly fatal to any Cybertronian. In a brave sacrifice, Bulkhead decided to carry the ToxEn to the volcano and lob it into the lava, effectively destroying it. However, he also had to contend with Hardshell, one of the fiercest Insecticons to exist. Eventually, Bulkhead succeeded in lobbing both the ToxEn and Hardshell into the volcano.

When he went to walk away and return home, Hardshell shot him in the back. The very same way that a coward would do when they stab someone in the back. Ratchet barely managed to stabilize him but was unable to perform any kind of surgery until Bulkhead regains some of his strength. Despite Bulkhead suffering from massive trauma to his central neural conduit, a system-wide shutdown and being forced into an induced stasis, Ratchet had made it clear that he would survive. However, there was also the chance that he may be never fully functional again.

After the destruction of Hardshell in a quest for revenge, Talida and Miko did what Wheeljack couldn't. They decided to stay with Bulkhead by his berthside. Wheeljack left after making sure Talida and Miko returned to base safe and sound, saying that he couldn't stand seeing his best friend and almost brother-in-law lying there like this. The girls couldn't bear seeing their friend and partner in this state either. But they stayed with him and would until he fully recovered.

"These things take time," Ratchet sighed, "But Bulkhead will recover."

"You ended the induced stasis twelve hours ago and he still hasn't woken up. What if he never does, Ratchet? What then?" Talida demanded.

"We will deal with that situation when the time comes, sweetspark. Not before," Optimus answered on Ratchet's behalf as he stepped forward from behind the shadows.

"Well, what's taking him so long to wake up?" Miko demanded impatiently.

"Miko, these things take time," Arcee chided, "But…there may be a reason…"

"Rayna?" Ratchet guessed, quick to catch on to what Arcee was hinting at.

"Bulkhead loved her very much. When she died…he was never the same until Tally was born," Arcee recalled, "He had never been happier when he learned that not only was Talida Rayna's incarnate, but he was also to be named her godfather. Bulkhead truly changed that day. He became more determined. He was devoted to protect her. To make sure what happened to Rayna didn't happen to her. Then Miko came along and completed the circle. She's very much like the daughter Bulkhead never had."

Talida and Miko smiled at that. With Talida, she knew Bulkhead loved her very much. He had told her so multiple times as she grew into the young woman she is today. However, she never knew the full extent of his love until Arcee's small speech. With Miko, she and Bulkhead were always close. But she never knew the extent of his love for her very much like Talida didn't.

"He needs something to bring him back," Talida whispered, "To know that he's needed here."

"If there's one thing Bulkhead loved, it's hearing Talida sing and Miko play," Ratchet mused.

"I have an idea," Miko suddenly said as she stood up.

Jack was playing video games with Raf up in the living area when Miko walked by and 'burrowed' his acoustic guitar that he had brought in to cheer them up. When he noticed his beloved instrument was missing, he went to protest. Then, he saw Miko walk back to Bulkhead's lifeless husk and Talida's worried, exhausted body. It was when he realized what they were planning to do.

"Hey, Raf. You may wanna see this," Jack said as they shut down the game.

"**Do you think this is going to work?**" Bumblebee bleeped.

"It's better than standing around not trying anything," Arcee shrugged.

"This is a song that both Miko and I love and it's one of our favourites off the album," Talida began.

"Bulkhead really loved this song too. So we thought it'd be perfect for him," Miko finished as she tuned the final string in the guitar and strummed them all to make sure they were tuned.

She then slipped the capo onto the 7th fret, something that would be considered optional for the guitar players. Then she began strumming. First a G major chord, then a D major chord, transitioning to an E minor 7 and changing to a Cadd2. At first, none of them knew the song. Then Talida began singing the familiar lyrics. And they instantly recognized it.

Talida: _When you feel you're alone,  
__Cut off from this cruel world,  
__Your instincts telling you to run…_

_Listen to your heart…  
__Those angel voices…  
__They'll sing to you.  
__They'll be your guide…  
__Back home…_

_When life… leaves us blind…  
__Love… keeps us kind…  
__It keeps us kind…_

Ratchet gasped in amazement and happiness as he took note of something. Bulkhead's vitals were beginning to pick up. Talida's and Miko's idea appeared to be working. All that was left for Bulkhead to do was physical wake up. However, the pickup in his vitals gave them a reason to hope for the best.

Talida: _When you've suffered enough,  
__And your spirit is breaking,  
__You're growing desperate from the fight…_

_Remember you're loved…  
__And always will be…  
__This melody will bring you right…  
__Back home…_

_When life… leaves us blind…  
__Love… keeps us kind…_

"Hey, Jack!" Raf gasped excitedly as he pointed to Bulkhead.

Jack glanced down at the former Wrecker and saw why Raf was so excited. Bulkhead's optics were flickering as they slowly came to life and regained that spark he was so renowned for. Talida and Miko singing and playing (respectively) worked its magic. Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Ratchet noticed this as well. They wanted to tell the girls. But they were afraid that if they stopped, they would be back to square one.

Talida: _When life… leaves us blind…  
__Love… keeps us kind…_

Bulkhead's optics fully opened for the first time since that fateful relic hunt. When his audio processors were able to process the sounds surrounding him, the first sounds he heard were the sounds of a perfectly tuned guitar and an angelic voice. Immediately, he knew that Miko and Talida were playing and singing for him.

Talida: _Oh-ohhhhhhhh-ohhhh…  
__Oh-ohhhhhhhh-ohhhh…  
__Oh-ohhhhhhhh-ohhhh-ohhhh…_

Arcee smiled and lent into Optimus' embrace in relief. Optimus let out a small smile – both at the progress Bulkhead's recovery was making and the way Arcee nuzzled nose plates with Cayden and the sounds of his giggles echoing around the base. Bumblebee almost did a dance of joy. Ratchet let out a sigh of relief. Jack and Raf exchanged small smiles.

Talida: _Oh-ohhhhhhhh-ohhhh…  
__Oh-ohhhhhhhh-ohhhh…  
__Oh-ohhhhhhhh-ohhhh-ohhhh…_

When Miko finished strumming the final chord, they got the surprise of their lives. And that surprise was Bulkhead sitting upright despite his injuries and singing the last notes of the song.

"I LOVE THAT SONG!" Bulkhead crowed, "I LOVE LINKIN PARK IN GENERAL!"

"Bulkhead!" Talida and Miko cried in joy as Bulkhead held them close to his spark and allowed them to hug him.

"OK, girls. I love you. But my back," Bulkhead winced.

"Well, lay back down, you big lug!" Miko and Talida chided, breaking into laughter and tears of joy.

"It is good to see you awake, Bulkhead," Optimus smiled as Bulkhead laid back down.

"It's great to be back, boss," Bulkhead smirked cheekily before making the moment serious by asking Ratchet, "What's the damage? How long was I out?"

"You were out for a few days, Bulkhead. The damage was severe," Ratchet sighed. With a slight hesitation, Ratchet continued, "The exposure to ToxEn and the…'sucker punched' you received from Hardshell caused massive trauma to your central neural conduit and a system-wide shutdown at a submichronic level. I had to delay the operations you had to undergo until you regained some strength back because honestly, I wasn't sure that you were going to survive. While the series of operations were successful albeit some minor complications, there is the chance that you will never be able to return to full function."

"Keep in mind, Bulkhead, that even if you suffer from a disability as a result of your injuries, you will always have a home here," Optimus reassured him.

"Most of all, we're all just glad to see you're OK," Arcee smiled, before laughing slightly at the way Cayden was reaching out to Bulkhead, "And I know someone else is too."

Bulkhead smiled as Arcee brought Cayden down to his level. Using his strength, he raised the hand that wasn't cradling his favourite girls to his chassis to rub his head, earning clicks and purrs in happiness. Just like he loved his goddaughter and charge more than anything, he loved his godson more than anything. Especially since he will never be able to have children of his own due to Rayna's demise.

"Wait. What happened to Hardshell?" Bulkhead asked, causing everyone's eyes to go on Miko and Talida.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," Talida vowed.

"The two of us and Wheeljack made sure of that," Miko promised.

"Well, now that Bulkhead is awake and well on the path to recovery, I believe that everything now can resume as normal," Ratchet proclaimed.

"Can't believe I'm saying this. But old grouch bot's got a point," Talida grumbled playfully.

"Amen to that, baby girl!" Bulkhead crowed as he removed his hand from Cayden's head and rested it back behind him…accidentally hitting one of Ratchet's scalpels, "Whoops."

"Uh-oh," Miko cringed.

"BULKHEAD, I NEEDED THAT!"

If that wasn't a sign that everything would be returning to normal, they didn't know what would.

* * *

**I thought that considering the seriousness of the chapter, we needed a good laugh to finish it off.**

**Hey. Maybe I should be doing these kinds of chapters more often. I know that I've got a few more under my belt. But for now…**

**PROMO TIME!**

**Next episode: Out of the Past…**

* * *

_Cliffjumper: Arcee… Been a while._

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Starscream: Now is the time to strike!_

**Cliffjumper is back!**

_Cliffjumper: We may be in a little more trouble than we thought…_

_**Show Shockwave pushing Arcee back to the edge of the floor**_

_**Show Cliffjumper shooting**_

_**Show Cliffjumper and Shockwave battling in front of the Space Bridge**_

_**Show Arcee racing to attack**_

_**Show Vehicons approaching them**_

_**Show Arcee unfolding her arm blades**_

_Cliffjumper: GIVE HIM EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!  
_

_Starscream: DESTROY THEM!_

_**Show Cliffjumper touching the screen**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**OK. Check out the episodes that are to come after Out of the Past:**

**1. New Recruit  
****2. The Human Factor  
****3. Legacy  
****4. Alpha/Omega  
****5. Hard Knocks  
****6. Inside Job  
****7. Patch  
****8. Regeneration  
****9. Darkest Hour**

**Now if you excuse me… YOU GOTTA CUT LOOSE! FOOTLOOSE! KICK OFF YOUR SUNDAY SHOES! I just had to do that.**

**BYE!**


	15. Out of the Past

**OK. I'm no longer a blubbering mess after writing the previous chapter. Allow me to get the show on the road once again.**

**As usual, I am going to kick things off with the REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Your idea of delaying Malita's return seems hardly… Logical. Yet, it makes me even more curious of what will happen in 'Fading Suns'. I look forward to reading it.**_

**I hope that you eventually realize that I can't just throw a character into my story whenever I feel like it. I can't just go, 'I'll just throw Malita in here.' Introducing a character takes time and a lot of thought. You have to plan everything out carefully. That's why Malita's not back. I'm sure the writers of the show were the same way when they were introducing Wheeljack, Knock Out, Breakdown, Dreadwing, Smokescreen and Shockwave and any other character that I missed.**

**Bee4ever: **_**YAY! Bulkhead is ok!  
**_

**He was always going to be OK. That certainly wasn't going to change. I love that lug!**

**Awesomo3000: **_**What a coincidink, I love Whoopi Goldburg and Ellen DeGeneres too! But this chapter and song, I love it EVEN MORE! :D The next episode's one of my favourite Season 2 episodes! Update when you can!**_

**Don't I always? :P**

**lancepm: **_**castle of glass was saddening. Considering it was about the men who laid down their lives for this country.**_

**I live in Australia. So America's not my country. And not that I don't agree with you and that I love that song more than anything, what's that got to do with anything?**

**tfp-fan: **_**YAY! Bulkhead's awake again! Good going, Miko and Talida! :D  
**_

**Music's the best medicine. ;)**

**haloangel21: **_**Naw. Cute chapter **_

**Thanks, halo!**

**Ninjabot01: **_**great chapter and yay for bulk and is there going to be any more moments between the couples? And ratchet needs to say 'I needed that' a lot more looking forward to the next chapter.**_

**Patience, my little minion. Seems like a lot of people don't know the meaning of patience nowadays. …OK. What in the name of Primus am I saying? I can't be patient to save my life!**

**CHVRedPhantom: **_**Quick question, What… EXACTLY happened, after the end of ch 14(Jack and Miko: Only Hope) of 'Talida Prime: Rising Darkness'?**_

_**JAVNightAngel: They Interfaced, it was pretty obvious!**_

**_CHVRedPhantom: Well maybe… But I wanna here it from the author Herself._**

**They interfaced.**

**Tellingitlikeitis1541: **_**Random Footloose mention. XD**_

_**Think this original chapter came out pretty good.**_

**Thanks! And about that Footloose mention…this is what happens when you write this and watch Footloose at the same time. The 2011 version, obviously. I don't have the original.  
**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**From Yesterday**_** rightfully belongs to 30 Seconds to Mars and Virgin Records.**

**Oh! By the way! Everything that happens in flashback will be in italics. Bold's for the author's notes and the underline doesn't really work well.**

**Also… IGNORE THE CHAPTER I WROTE IN **_**LOVE AND FOREVER**_** ABOUT ARCEE'S REUNION WITH OPTIMUS AND CLIFFJUMPER JOINING TEAM PRIME! THAT WAS WRITTEN AT LEAST A YEAR BEFORE THE EPISODE CAME OUT!**

**ENJOY!**

**Now I'm gonna go pass out in my bed for the chapter.**

* * *

"_**He's a stranger to some.  
**__**And a vision to none.  
**__**He can never get enough.  
**__**Get enough of the one.**_

_**For a fortune, he'd quit.  
**__**But it's hard to admit,  
**__**How it ends and begins.**_

_**On his face is a map of the world.  
**__**(A map of the world…)  
**__**On his face is a map of the world.  
**__**(A map of the world…)**_

_**From yesterday, it's coming…  
**__**From yesterday, the fear…  
**__**From yesterday, it calls him…  
**__**But he doesn't wanna read the message here…**_"

_As the Nemesis travelled through space, two Vehicons entered the bridge. In their hands, they held the bound arms of their female prisoner. The prisoner's feet dragged across the bridge as the Vehicons dragged her forward towards their leader. When the prisoner was thrown to the ground and the leader turned around, their identities were revealed._

_The (temporary) leader was Starscream._

_The beaten and broken prisoner was Arcee._

"_They said it couldn't be done. The one called Arcee is too quick. Too stealthy to be captured. Well, here you are, with a rare opportunity to make history," Starscream smirked, "You see, I have intercepted this encrypted Autobot signal. And if it's encrypted, it must be important. Decode it for me and I will see to it that you perish quickly."_

_Arcee whimpered quietly before whispering her answer to Starscream's request. After four years of being under Sentinel Prime's abusive command, four years of carrying the lifeless body of her unborn son and four years of being separated from the love of her life, the girl she considered her daughter and her former teammates she considered her family, her body and emotions were beaten, raw and broken. However, her spirit was still as strong as before, albeit some cracks and bruises._

"_Speak up. I can't hear you over your whimpering," Starscream sneered._

_"Get fragged," Arcee growled._

_Starscream gaped for a few moments before recovering his footing and cackling, "Perhaps you will be more inclined to operate when it's not your wellbeing at stake."_

_Arcee's eyes widened in horror at the sound of the approaching footsteps. It didn't take long for her to figure out that the Decepticons have captured another Autobot. All she was hoping for was that they didn't capture Optimus, Bulkhead, Bumblebee or even Ratchet. But above all, she was hoping that they hadn't captured Talida. The girl was only 13 years old, hasn't discovered her powers as of yet and is barely able to defend herself. She wouldn't be able to survive long in their grasps._

_When she turned to her left as the prisoner was forced to his knees, she recognized him. She fought alongside him. She graduated from the Academy alongside him. She was once a friend of his. It was someone she hadn't seen for over a year (give or take a month)._

_It was Cliffjumper._

"_Arcee. Been a while," Cliffjumper joked._

**TRANSFORMERS PRIME  
**

"_**On a mountain, he sits.  
**__**Not of gold. But of shit.  
**__**Through the blood, he can look.  
**__**See the life that he took.**_

_**From a council of one,  
**__**He'll decide when he's done,  
**__**With the innocent.**_

_**On his face is a map of the world.  
**__**(A map of the world…)  
**__**On his face is a map of the world!  
**__**(A map of the world…)**_

_**From yesterday, it's coming…  
**__**From yesterday, the fear…  
**__**From yesterday, it calls him...  
**__**But he doesn't wanna read the message…  
**__**He doesn't wanna read the message…**_

_**HE DOESN'T WANNA READ THE MESSAGE HERE…**_"

"_Give me the code for the encryption! Or I will add your comrade Cliffjumper to the multitude of fallen Autobots below!" Starscream threatened._

"_Scrap him. I don't care about him anymore," Arcee shrugged, still mad at Cliffjumper for his last words to her._

"_Ouch! Got enough of the sensitive side?!" Cliffjumper asked rhetorically. But deep down, he knew he deserved that._

"_Cybertron is little more than a graveyard now. GIVE ME THE CODE!" Starscream snapped._

"_I'm not afraid of you, Starscream. You're no Megatron," Arcee snarled._

_Starscream let out a roar of frustration at that. If there was one thing he was sick of, it was the fact that everyone kept on comparing him to Megatron. And not in a good way._

_So he raised his hand to strike…_

* * *

Arcee blinked multiple times, effectively bringing herself out of the flashback. Honestly, it was more of the colossal bang that brought her out of the memory. Looking down at the sight in front of her, she saw Bulkhead lying on the ground. Immediately, she felt sorry for her dear friend.

Ever since Bulkhead woke up a few days ago, it's been one rough patch after the next. While Ratchet did say that there was a chance he will never regain full function of his body, it didn't mean that Bulkhead was going to just give up. Not with everything he had to live for. So he was eager to begin the long process of his recovery. And Miko and Talida were naturally there to help every step of the way.

Outside of Bulkhead's recovery progress, Talida and Miko were like two peas in a pod that had almost everything in common. However, when they begin helping Bulkhead with his rehabilitation, they are suddenly like two polar opposites. Miko was more of a drill sergeant than a friend who wouldn't stop pushing him. Talida was more of the friend who recognized when the former Wrecker needed a rest and the only one of the two more than willing to listen to Ratchet's advice. If Ratchet proclaimed that Bulkhead needed a break, then she would force Bulkhead to take a break and Miko to allow Bulkhead to do so.

"Three steps, Bulkhead?! That's all you can manage?!" Miko said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Miko. My legs still hurt," Bulkhead moaned.

With shaky arms, Bulkhead pushed himself back onto his feet. When he was back up, he was suddenly dizzy again and began stumbling on his spot, his legs refusing to support his weight.

"What did I tell you?" Miko asked.

"No excuses," Bulkhead sighed.

"Exactly. Try again. Ten steps this time," Miko instructed.

Bulkhead began walking again, hoping to succeeded in reaching ten steps. He counted each step in his head. _One… Two… Three… Four…_

"I hope the decoding of the Iacon Database is going more smoothly than Bulkhead's recovery," Ratchet remarked as he approached Optimus and Talida, who were working on decoding coordinates from the Iacon Database together at the main screen.

"Slow, but steady, old friend," Optimus reported, his optics never leaving the large screen.

"Human technology," Ratchet scoffed, obviously still not a fan about the planet's primitive technology or its 'primitive' race.

"Watch it, sunshine," Talida warned as she looked away from the keyboard to glare at the medic.

"But your expertise should provide the edge we need to beat the Decepticons at this game," Ratchet proclaimed.

"Ratchet's right," Talida nodded in agreement eagerly, "I've seen your workstation from the Hall of Records on Cybertron. It was the most advance system there. And from what Alpha Trion told me, you have to be the best of the best to earn that equipment!"

"I fear their access to Cybertronian technology will provide them with equal advantage," Optimus rumbled before turning to Talida, "What exactly did Alpha Trion tell you while you were on Cybertron?"

"Not much," Talida shrugged, "The guy's as cryptic as Soundwave. And he talks!"

_**THUD!  
**_

Looking behind them, Ratchet, Optimus and Talida saw Bulkhead had fallen over again. And, as usual, Miko was standing in front of him being no help. Talida sighed. From her point of view, it looked as though Bulkhead was suffering more from the recovery progress than from the actual injuries.

"Not good enough! You have to come back stronger than before!" Miko proclaimed.

"You wanna say this or should I?" Ratchet asked Talida.

"I gave her the lecture last time," Talida said, raising her hands to say, 'I ain't going'.

"Time for a break, Bulkhead," Ratchet decreed as he went to help Bulkhead up.

"A break?! YOU THINK THE 'CONS ARE GOING TO GIVE BULKHEAD A BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIREFIGHT?!" Miko exclaimed in disbelief.

"They will give him a break because he's not even going to face a Vehicon until he learns how to fight again!" Talida retorted.

"If you push a patient too far and too fast, you risk exasperating their injures," Ratchet chided as he pulled Bulkhead to his feet.

"But-!" Miko began to protest.

"Bulkhead needs to rest, Miko. There's nothing more to it," Talida cut in, her voice sounding like the leader she is (alongside Optimus) and effectively ending the argument as Ratchet led Bulkhead away.

Miko just growled in frustration and went to storm out of the base, yelling at the newly arrived Bumblebee, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"**What did I do?!**" Bumblebee immediately asked.

"It wasn't you, babe," Talida reassured her fiancé.

"We need to talk to her," Arcee sighed.

"I thought you and Miko didn't see eye to eye," Talida protested.

"Things have changed since Cybertron," was all Arcee replied with.

Talida, who normally can come up with comebacks as quickly as Starscream can cower away, couldn't even bring herself to formulate a comeback to her reply. Because Arcee was right. Things have changed since their voyage to Cybertron.

Both in a good way and a bad way.

* * *

Miko had brought herself to the cliffs to calm herself down and collect her thoughts…and maybe shed a tear or two. To her, no one understood how desperate the situation was. Bulkhead needed to recover and needed to recover now. What she didn't understand was what Ratchet had said to her before she left. Pushing Bulkhead too hard too fast would only make his injuries worse than they already were and lengthen the rehabilitation.

Miko turned around to the sound of an approaching engine. When she did, she saw that Arcee and Talida had arrived to talk to her. Somehow, she knew that Optimus wanted to talk to her; to reason with the Japanese exchange student. Then Arcee and Talida disagreed and said that she needed a 'girls talk'. When Arcee transformed into her bipedal form, they sat on either side of her.

"Miko," Arcee began.

"Oh, er, hey, guys," Miko greeted quickly as she wiped the tears from her face, "I was just…"

"Aren't we a little too close to the edge?" Talida asked.

"Heights don't scare me," Miko muttered before turning to Talida, "Like the war doesn't scare you."

"You wanna rethink that?" Talida grumbled angrily.

"Bulkhead's coming along just fine. Thanks mostly to yours and Tally's efforts," Arcee reassured her.

"The thing is, Miko, friends are the only thing that Bulkhead needs right now. The last thing he needs is a drill sergeant treating his recovery like a military drill," Talida told her.

"No offence. But I came up here for some privacy," Miko sniped coldly at them.

"I understand what you're going through. So does Tally. If you ever want someone to talk to…," Arcee trailed off.

"I'm fine, OK?! I'm not the one Hardshell tried to scrap!" Miko snapped.

"It's rough when someone you love gets hurt. Ever since I was born, that's all I've been seeing. I'd see Dad, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and even Ratchet a few times," Talida confessed before reciting, "Closing yourself off from feeling won't hurt anyone."

"Well, Arcee would know, wouldn't she?!" Miko mumbled bitterly, earning a glance from Talida that told her not to push it.

"Yes. I would," Arcee admitted.

When she turned around, Talida and Miko copied her actions. Arcee and Talida remained stoic. Miko, however, found her face to be filled with shock and horror. They saw the cairn that was enacted the day Jack and Raf discovered the war. The cairn that buried the horn; all that remained of someone they loved dearly. Slowly, Miko began to realize that she was sitting in front of Cliffjumper's grave.

"God, I'm sorry! I didn't mean that!" Miko immediately apologized, remembering how Talida used to be close to the deceased Autobot.

"It's OK," Talida reassured her, "You don't know that much."

"Cliffjumper's…been on my mind lately. After I lost my first partner Tailgate, I pushed everyone away. The only people I couldn't were Optimus, Rayna and my parents…until Cliff came back into my life," Arcee confessed.

"What was he like?" Miko asked.

"He didn't know how to shut up," Talida laughed fondly.

"He couldn't have been that bad," Miko scoffed.

"No. She was right. Cliff was…quite the conversationalist," Arcee recalled.

* * *

_Arcee looked up from the bag she always carried when her cell door was opened. Thanks to the minimal lighting, she could only make out the shadows standing outside her open door. She saw two guards throw Cliffjumper back into the cell. Cliffjumper groaned in pain as he landed roughly on the ground in front of her. Just as quickly as the Vehicons appeared, they disappeared all over again as they shut and locked the door._

"_Cliffjumper, are you…?" Arcee trailed off, unable to finish the question._

"_I…I can't…I can't believe you actually care," Cliffjumper smirked, causing Arcee to scrawl at him._

"_The only thing I care about is whether you talked just now," Arcee scoffed as she allowed Cliffjumper to stand, now clutching a data pad in her hands._

"_You always this nice to your rescuers, kid?" Cliffjumper asked dryly as he walked around rotating his arms._

"_Don't call me kid! You know I hate that!" Arcee snapped before saying to Cliffjumper as he began knocking on the wall, "You didn't answer my question."_

"_I got bored with Starscream's little workout. So I idled my engines and faked shutdown. Scream bought it," Cliffjumper shrugged casually._

"_How did you wind up here?" Arcee demanded, "I thought you went to look for your ship after Sentinel Prime abandoned us last year."_

_"Intercepted some chatter about a Decepticon operation near our old hometown. So I followed the trail and saw Starscream shipping massive amounts of Energon to this place. What's your story?" Cliffjumper asked._

"_Same," Arcee muttered._

"_Another letter from Talida?" Cliffjumper guessed, "How is the ol' Prime girl, anyway?"_

"_Nervous about starting high school in the fall. Boasting about a massive prank she and Bulkhead pulled on Ratchet a few days ago," Arcee chuckled slightly._

_"Does she know you're here?" Cliffjumper wanted to know._

"_If I did, Optimus would have a spark attack," Arcee reminded him._

"_What happened to us, Arcee?" Cliffjumper sighed, "We used to be tight."_

_"You know what happened with us, Cliff," Arcee muttered bitterly._

* * *

"_I've tried every interrogation technique and NOTHING IS WORKING!" Starscream snarled in frustration, "I would just eliminate them. But the code they carry is too valuable. If only I could break them open and just take it!"_

_Soundwave said nothing. He only turned to face the window and point to a building. Immediately, Starscream understood what Soundwave was suggesting. He knew the building. After all, it was located in Kaon, the gladiator city that Megatron took as a capitol when the war began. And he knew who lived inside._

_"No! I will not take the prisoners to the surface! Why should I let him have all the glory?" Starscream sneered, not liking the idea of letting this Cybertronian claiming all the credit._

_Soundwave responded with an audio sample that used Starscream's own words against him,_

"_**The code they carry is too valuable.**__"_

_"Alright. Since I must deliver the Energon to him anyway," Starscream relented._

* * *

_The Kaon the Vehicons were walking through was no different to the Kaon Arcee, Jack and Talida walked through when they searched for Vector Sigma. Rubble still stained the empty streets. Bodies of the fallen still surrounded them every corner. The city was nothing but a lifeless husk very much like the rest of Cybertron. Starscream walked behind the troopers carrying Energon with the bound Arcee and Cliffjumper. As they walked, Cliffjumper decided to play dumb._

_"So this is Kaon, huh? Love what you Decepticons have done with the place," Cliffjumper joked, "The ruins are certainly…picturesque."_

"_SILENCE!" Starscream snapped, already annoyed with Cliffjumper's constant chattering._

_One of the troopers walking with them hit Cliffjumper in the back with his blaster, indicating that he wanted the Autobot prisoner to move fast and without delay. Arcee just walked silently and sadly. But silently, she was grateful that they allowed the small mercy that was allowing her to keep her precious bag with her. The bag containing her dead unborn son. Her precious Shanahan._

_Eventually, they arrived at the destination Starscream wanted to take them too. The building housed a laboratory filled with all kinds of Cybertronian equipment and experiments conducted by a scientist that would be considered dangerous. Deep down inside, Cliffjumper and Arcee sort of knew what they could expect. They didn't know what exactly would happen or who would be delivering the tortures. But they knew that it was going to be bad._

"_Here we are," Starscream sneered as they walked into the room._

"_That's not a good sign," Cliffjumper couldn't help but remark as Starscream analyzed the scientific tools laid out before them._

"_Since I could not compel you to surrender the encryption code, I'm forced to introduce you to someone whose methods are a little more…persuasive," Starscream smirked deviously._

_When they heard the sounds of loud, echoing footsteps, Arcee and Cliffjumper turned around. When the figure emerged from the shadows, they recognized him. They recognized the sturdy frame. The mostly purple paintwork with bits of black and blue. The one red optic filling his face. Any Cybertronian would recognize him. Even if they were only familiar with the work of this genius but dangerously mad scientist._

"_We may be in a little more trouble than I thought," Cliffjumper stated the obvious._

"_Autobots, say hello to Shockwave," Starscream introduced._

_No sooner than had Starscream made the introductions, they set off to work. Cliffjumper and Arcee found themselves strapped to the experimental slabs slanted against the wall. Starscream began gloating while Shockwave prepared his equipment for work._

_"Delivering a mountain of Energon, intercepting an encrypted Autobot communiqué and capturing two key prisoners is impressive. I admit. But Lord Megatron expects nothing less from his first lieu-!" Starscream stopped gloating when he saw the look Shockwave was giving him, "I should let you work, right? No doubt you are trying to concentrate. Carry on."_

_Happy with the silence, Shockwave immediately grabbed one end of the Cortical Psychic Patch, a device invented by Decepticons that would enable them to enter the minds of their prisoners and learn everything they needed to know from them, and attached it to the back of his own head._

_As Shockwave did so, Arcee began to slowly realize what was going to happen. Immediately, she used the sharp metal highlights on her wrist and began cutting at the binds that held her pinned to the slab. Cliffjumper watched as she did so. And prayed that she would manage to escape._

_"Er, Shockwave, are you certain that you can extract the decryption code without first nullifying our subject's neural net?" Starscream inquired._

"_I invented the cortical psychic patch. I am familiar with our idiosyncrasy," Shockwave answered._

"_Of course you are," Starscream chuckled nervously, knowing what would happen if he questioned Shockwave's methods._

_Slowly, but dangerously, Shockwave made his way towards the bound Arcee. Knowing what was about to happen, Arcee began struggling even more. Every Autobot knew what the cortical psychic patch was and what it could do. And they didn't want the patch to be used on them if the other end was connected to a Decepticon._

_"Keep that thing away from me, you one-eyed freak!" Arcee exclaimed as she tried to move away._

_"Leave her alone! Use it on me!" Cliffjumper pleaded._

"_Do not worry. If her mind does not survive the procedure, you will be next," Shockwave promised._

_Then he stuck the other end of the patch on the back of Arcee's head. Hearing her gasp in shock and pain, Cliffjumper froze in horror. For Arcee, it felt as if her mind was going blank. But she knew that wasn't true. But there was one thing that was true._

_He was extracting the code from her mind._

"_Ah, the code," Starscream sighed happily as he noticed the code fill the screens._

_Shockwave harshly yanked the cortical psychic patch off of Arcee's head. Cliffjumper watched in anger as Arcee gasped in pain at the electricity coursing through her head at the action before slumping unconscious against the slab._

"_Arcee! Arcee!" Cliffjumper cried before snarling at Starscream and Shockwave, "I'll scrap you both!"_

"Shut up! I'm trying to listen!" Starscream snapped as the decrypted message began playing.

"_**This is Optimus Prime. To all surviving Autobots who hear this message, I ask you to join me in a remote corner of the galaxy on a small planet rich with Energon. I have reason to believe this world will soon become a new target of Decepticon conquest. Our team is small. But strong. Join me at these coordinates so that we might plan our resistance. Safe journeys.**__"_

_Worriedly, Cliffjumper turned to face Arcee, who cracked one eye open and winked at him before beginning to work on her binds once again. But there was no reason to hope just yet. The Decepticons managed to decode the message Optimus sent out. And he knew that Optimus and his team were still on Earth because…well, as Arcee said herself, he didn't want his daughter to experience interstellar travel at the age of 13._

"_Ah, brilliant! Not only do we know where to find Optimus Prime, but he's begging for help! Now is the time to strike!" Starscream proclaimed._

"_You are no longer of use," Shockwave said to Cliffjumper as he aimed his blaster at Cliffjumper's face._

"_Hey, Scream. Curious. You always let other 'Cons do your dirty work?" Cliffjumper asked cheekily._

_Starscream snarled before saying, "Shockwave! You've already disposed of one of my prisoners! Cliffjumper is mine."_

"_Your reasoning is hardly logical," Shockwave protested before relenting, "Indulge yourself."_

_With those words said, Shockwave left the room with two Vehicons, intending to let Starscream do his business, finish what he had started and clean up his own mess. Immediately, Starscream headed towards the equipment laid out on the table._

"_What do you think, Cliffjumper?" Starscream asked as he reached for a prod, "Plenty to choose from here. Shall we go with precise dissection? Or blunt force?"_

"_Your choice, Scream. Whatever you pick, I'm just gonna use it on you," Cliffjumper warned._

"_Very well. Why don't we do this the old-fashioned way?" Starscream suggested as he raised his hand to strike._

_To his surprise, he was jumped from behind. Someone grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Cliffjumper. Turning around, he saw that his attacker was Arcee, who had successfully managed to free herself from her binds against the slab. With swift and fluid movements, Arcee kicked Starscream onto the slab and used the binds to pin his wrists down._

_From the menacing look on Arcee's face, he immediately knew that he was in for it._

"_NO! NO!" Starscream whimpered._

_"Thanks for the save," Cliffjumper said as Arcee undid the binds on his wrists._

"_Your turn, Starscream. What is with all the Energon?" Arcee demanded._

_"As if I would tell you!" Starscream sneered._

_"Talk! Or you're a science experiment! I'm not kidding!" Arcee threatened as she went for the equipment._

_"You should probably tell us something. I'm not sure how long I can hold her back. Especially since she has a little girl to go home to," Cliffjumper smirked, clearly enjoying this._

"_I'm no expert on this. But I know one slipup can fry a neural net," Arcee warned as she held up the cortical psychic patch._

_Starscream yelped in fear before blurting, "Shockwave! He's the one you want! He's building a Space Bridge below Kaon!"_

"Impossible! Space Bridge technology has been lost for megacycles!" Arcee protested, remembering the stories Optimus had told her growing up.

"_And yet he managed! Shockwave never left Cybertron precisely so he could scavenge parts and reverse Space Bridge mechanics!" Starscream clarified._

_"And you just delivered all the Energon he needs to power it up," Cliffjumper surmised._

_"Well, it often pains me. I try to be a team player," Starscream chuckled._

_Having grown annoyed with Starscream, Arcee knocked him out by delivering a hard punch that would have made Bulkhead and Wheeljack proud to fight alongside her._

"_You going somewhere?" Cliffjumper asked Arcee as she grabbed her bag and went to leave._

"_To takedown a Space Bridge," Arcee answered._

"_Without your ol' pal?" Cliffjumper smirked playfully, knowing he was pushing her buttons._

_"This requires stealth. Not chatter," Arcee stated._

_"Oh, you mean the chatter that distracted Starscream long enough for you to free yourself?" Cliffjumper said._

_Cliffjumper had her there. As much as Arcee hated to admit it, if it weren't for Cliffjumper, she never would've managed to free herself and jump Starscream. In fact, if it weren't for Cliffjumper, she'd be dead._

"_Just don't slow me down," Arcee relented._

* * *

_The first place that Arcee and Cliffjumper searched were the underground tunnels. Starscream did say that Shockwave was building a Space Bridge underneath Kaon. So the tunnel system that ran beneath the city was their safest bet. Neither of them were unsure of the idea. But they could have gone one level lower and travelled through the sewage systems, which, even to this day, was still filled with waste and other stuff that made Cybertronians cringe in disgust._

"_You know where you're going?" Cliffjumper asked as they raced through the tunnels._

_"My unit used these tunnels during the war. They're part of Old Cybertron," Arcee answered as they began climbing over the bodies of Cybertron's fallen that blocked their path._

_"The sooner we blow this Space Bridge, the sooner we join up with Optimus Prime," Cliffjumper stated._

_"Give him my regards," Arcee said._

_"Did you not hear Prime's message? He needs us. And I thought you'd be doing cartwheels at the thought of being reunited with Talida," Cliffjumper remarked._

_"Teamwork hasn't been my thing since I was forced to work under Sentinel Prime. After what happened with Airachnid when we arrived, I can't even face him again. And no matter how much I love her and never want to hurt her, Talida deserves a better maternal figure in her life than me. So after this, we go our separate ways," Arcee proclaimed._

"_Whatever you say, partner," Cliffjumper shrugged._

_Immediately, Arcee whirled around to face Cliffjumper and said, "Let's get one thing straight. You are not my partner!"_

_"Arcee, I know it's rough. I really do," Cliffjumper sighed._

_"I don't know what you're talking about," Arcee immediately said as she walked ahead._

_"Tailgate was my best friend too, Arcee. And I know that you know that," Cliffjumper blurted, causing Arcee to freeze as the painful memories resurfaced, "Closing yourself off from feeling won't help anyone."_

* * *

Cliffjumper's voice as he said that line was combined with Talida's from when she said that to Miko just before.

"Sounds familiar," Miko remarked knowingly.

"Good advice is good advice," Arcee shrugged.

"He told me that when I tried to close off again after my suicide attempt three years ago. Even went as far as saying that even though we're not related, I'm more like you than I let on," Talida chuckled slightly at the memory.

"So…I gotta know. What happened next?" Miko asked eagerly.

"We had a bit more of a chat. Cleared the air between us," Arcee recalled.

* * *

"_You don't know anything," Arcee spat as she went to continue walking._

"_I know a lot about you. I know that you love Optimus more than anything. I know that despite what you say, all you want to do is go home to Talida. And I know that you still blame yourself for Shanahan's death to this day, even though it's not your fault," Cliffjumper retorted._

"_You told me it was," Arcee mumbled._

"_I was angry, Arcee. I said things without thinking. I tried to apologize for it! But you had already said you didn't want anything to do with me and walked away! Everybody knows that you did everything you could to protect him, Arcee. Everybody on the team knows that the ones to blame are Sentinel Prime because he sent you out in the first place despite you being pregnant and Airachnid because she delivered the fatal blow. Optimus would understand. Tally did," Cliffjumper stated._

_Arcee sighed. She hated it when Cliffjumper was right. Even if they were friends._

"_Let's go. I have a teenager to get home to," Arcee smirked as she raced ahead._

"_NOW WE'RE TALKING!" Cliffjumper cheered as he went to follow her._

"_Shh!" Arcee hissed._

"_Sorry," Cliffjumper stage whispered._

* * *

_When they arrived, they learned that Starscream was indeed correct. Shockwave had successfully salvaged everything he needed to construct a Space Bridge and reversed the Space Bridge mechanics. All he had needed was the Energon to run it; Energon that Starscream had provided._

_The two Vehicons that were in charge of guarding the Space Bridge were jumped, knocked out and dragged off into another hallway. Cliffjumper and Arcee peaked out with their blasters at the ready. When the coast was clear, they continued on to another hiding place: a small section behind the platform._

"_Shockwave's work of art," Arcee observed._

_"Already fuelled and ready to rip," Cliffjumper grumbled before noticing the computer screens nearby, "Arcee, look familiar?"_

"_The coordinates Optimus provided. They're being used to target the Space Bridge!" Arcee gaped in horror._

"_Which means the 'Cons will ambush Optimus, his kid and his team before any other Autobot reinforcements can get there," Cliffjumper realized._

_"If the 'Cons scorch Optimus or Tally, the war's as good as over," Arcee pointed out._

"_We can fix that," Cliffjumper smirked as he unfolded his three-ringed blaster, sulking slightly when Arcee moved his hand out of the way._

"_No. We don't have the ordinance to blow up the Space Bridge," Arcee reminded him, "We'll have to sabotage the control systems."_

"_What about the access? You're just gonna walk up and ask for permission?" Cliffjumper asked dryly._

"_No. You are," Arcee corrected with a smirk._

_Somehow, Cliffjumper knew he wasn't going to like this._

_Nevertheless, he helped Arcee carry out her plan._

_"Er, excuse me?! I got separated from the tour group! Does anyone know where I can find the Decepticon base?" Cliffjumper asked coyly as he walked down the ramp._

_The natural response from the Vehicons: to aim their blasters at the intruder._

_"Whoa! Didn't Commander Starscream tell ya?! I'm on your side now!" Cliffjumper lied, causing the two Vehicons to look at each other disbelievingly, "That coward Optimus Prime turned tail and ran! Left the rest of all us Autobots to fend for ourselves! So much for comradely, huh? Figured I'd rather be on the winning team. So I took Starscream's offer. Imagine the look on Prime's face when it starts raining Decepticons! Me with them! …Really! I know all about Starscream's plan! We can all get along now!"_

_The Vehicons lost all the speculation they held at Cliffjumper's last few sentences. Immediately, they transformed their blasters back into their servos and stood at attention._

_What they didn't know was that Cliffjumper was playing a ploy. Distract the Decepticon guards long enough for Arcee to sabotage the Space Bridge through the controls._

_However, Cliffjumper didn't realize that the fact they trust him was not the reason the two Vehicons stood at attention…until a few minutes later._

_"There's…someone behind me, isn't there?" Cliffjumper grumbled as he turned around…to face Shockwave._

"_Only Starscream could fail at disposing a helpless captive," Shockwave scoffed as he prepared for a fight._

_For Shockwave, the fact that Starscream was unable to terminate Cliffjumper and Arcee was the least of his problems. He heard the sounds of alarms and cackling electricity. When they turned around, he saw the Space Bridge having complications due to sabotage. From the looks and sounds of things, there is the possibility that the Space Bridge portal could collapse in on itself and cause the place to go up with an explosion nearly equivilant to a big bang._

"_Er…is it supposed to sound like that?" Cliffjumper asked._

_Shockwave said nothing to Cliffjumper. Instead, he pushed Cliffjumper out of the way and raced towards the controls where Arcee was working on the controls._

_"Interloper!" Shockwave exclaimed as he grabbed Arcee roughly by her wings and threw her away, "You have overridden the Energon containment protocols, haven't you?! Clever. But not irreversible."_

_Not if Cliffjumper could help it. As the Vehicons went to capture Cliffjumper, the Autobot easily pushed them away. He took down each Vehicon that went to attack. A few times, he even used one Vehicon to take down an approaching Vehicon. When the Vehicons were down either for the count or permanently, he shot at the controls, knowing fully well that if the controls were shot, Shockwave wouldn't be able to reverse what Arcee had done like he said he would._

_Then the fight began between Cliffjumper and Shockwave. At first, Cliffjumper was winning. He even went as far as knocking Shockwave onto his back, standing on his chest and aiming his blasters at his one optic. When Cliffjumper hesitated, Shockwave got the upper hand by pushing the Autobot off of him hard enough for Cliffjumper to land near the destroyed Space Bridge controls._

_Two Vehicons walked over to the downed Cliffjumper and went to terminate him. However, instead of Cliffjumper being terminated, they were terminated themselves. But it wasn't Cliffjumper that terminated._

_It was Arcee._

_After battling another wave of Vehicons, she glanced at Cliffjumper and gasped in horror. Cliffjumper was on the ground struggling to get up while Shockwave stood over him with his blaster aimed at his head._

"_There is more than one way to nullify a neural net," Shockwave pointed out._

"_Not this time," Arcee snarled._

_She shot at the structure above Shockwave and Cliffjumper, making it collapse. While Cliffjumper managed to escape, Shockwave wasn't as lucky as the rubble came down on top of him._

"_Cliff?" Arcee began worriedly as she helped him up._

_"I knew you cared," Cliffjumper smirked, causing Arcee to roll her eyes. Same old Cliffjumper…_

"_It appears Shockwave's arrogance was his undoing," Starscream remarked as he appeared in the doorway with two Vehicons, "DESTROY THEM!"  
_

_As soon as the Vehicons opened fire on Arcee and Cliffjumper, they dove for cover. That didn't stop the Vehicons from shooting. Clearly, they were hoping that as soon as Arcee and Cliffjumper came out of hiding, they would be able to terminate them. Eventually, Starscream heard the warning alarms from the Space Bridge. Immediately, he realized that someone sabotaged the controls to make it blow._

_"Autobots, whatever you did to the Space Bridge, UNDO IT! NOW!" Starscream requested._

"_You should really stop shooting at us if you wanna help," Cliffjumper remarked dryly before he and Arcee ducked as a shot almost hit them in the head, "Seeing as how our exit is blocked and we have an open Space Bridge portal currently set for Prime's location… You with me?"_

_It didn't take long for Arcee to figure out what Cliffjumper was planning to do. After the Space Bridge blows, if they were still on Cybertron, they wouldn't know how long they would be stranded trying to find either of their ships. And with little-to-no Energon remaining on the planet, they would be dead within a few months._

_Arcee thought about it as she stared at Cliffjumper's outstretched inviting hand. She knew that if she didn't go with him, she'd be dead within the next few months. Deciding to go with him would allow her to be reunited with her loved ones sooner. Optimus… Talida… All she had wanted was to see them again. Now she had the chance._

_She would be an idiot not to take it._

_Nodding, she took Cliffjumper's outstretched hand, showing that she was in._

_"The Space Bridge! IT'S GOING TO BLOW!" Starscream screamed as he ran out of the room like the true coward he is._

_Without thinking twice, Arcee and Cliffjumper raced through the Space Bridge. They only had one chance. If they didn't make it, they would either be killed in the initial explosion or wind up somewhere far from where they needed to be. They couldn't afford any delays._

_However, there was someone that was about to cause trouble for them. And that someone was Shockwave._

"_GIVE HIM EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" Cliffjumper cried as they opened fire._

_The next shot that Shockwave fired knocked Arcee and Cliffjumper to the ground. Arcee wasn't down for the count. Not with everything she had to fight for. Cliffjumper, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned and unable to fight._

_When Shockwave fired his next shot, everything slowed down. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion. The shot was fired. Arcee lent to the left to move out of the way. As she did, she fired her own shot in retaliation. The shot hit Shockwave in his only optic, leaving him blinded and unable to fight. Cliffjumper couldn't be anymore prouder than he already was._

"_BULL'S EYE!" Cliffjumper crowed as they continued running._

_They barely made it through the other end of the portal in time before the Space Bridge exploded with Shockwave still inside. Arcee and Cliffjumper laid on the ground with their eyes closed, unable to move._

"_You think Shockwave survived?" Arcee asked._

_"Hope so. I want a rematch," Cliffjumper joked as Arcee stood up._

_"Let's find Optimus…partner," Arcee suggested as she extended her hand._

_Cliffjumper accepted the helping hand and allowed himself to be pulled onto his feet. Then, they began walking through the desert as partners. However…how long they would be partners is unknown as Cliffjumper didn't know the meaning of the phrase, 'Shut up.'_

"_Rich with Energon, huh? I hope the entire rock doesn't look like this. Reminds me of the time I was lost in the Sea of Rust back on Cybertron. Except I was separated from my unit with absolutely no one to talk to," Cliffjumper recalled._

_"Or talk at?" Arcee corrected with a slight smirk._

_"Admit it. You love the company!" Cliffjumper laughed._

* * *

As Arcee looked at the vast open desert from her position on the cliff, she realized that the words Cliffjumper had said to her three years ago held truth. She loved the company he provided. She would do anything to have that back.

"Funny. Just as I think I could never get used to Cliffjumper's constant chatter," Arcee chuckled slightly, "Now, there's nothing louder to me than the silence."

"There's never going to be silence, Arcee. Not with us around," Talida smirked as she and Miko rested their hands on hers as a gesture of comfort.

"So…how were you and Cliffjumper found?" Miko asked.

"That's where I come in," Talida crowed, "It was after school finished for the week. I did my homework for about two hours before I decided to take a break before dinner. Back then, I used to love to go tobogganing through the desert. And I was pretty brilliant at it, if I do say so myself. That is, before dad found out about my 'reckless recreational activities' and took my board away from me. That afternoon, I took out my tobogganing board and went tobogganing down the steepest hill in the desert near the base."

* * *

"_Ready…set…GO!" 13-year-old Talida shouted as she pushed herself off the hill._

_If there was one thing Talida enjoyed, it was the sensation of flying down the sandy hills. The way the wind blew through her hair, which was normally up in pigtails. Everything that came with tobogganing, she loved._

_Using her strength, she held her board up for more speed and pulled the board left and right to avoid tripping over rocks. However, in one turn, she accidentally overturned and she ended up falling off the board and tumbling down the hill._

_Talida's exclamations could be heard around the desert as she rolled down the hill. When she stopped tumbling, she pushed herself off her stomach only to fall onto her back. She gasped in pain at the sensation as she clutched her wrist to her chest, silently praying that it was only a sprain and it wasn't broken. If Optimus found out what she does whenever she comes out to the desert, she'd be grounded for a month._

"_Scrap," Talida grumbled as she stood up, dusting the sand off her clothes, "I thought I had this whole thing down pat."_

_With her non-injured hand, she grabbed her board and placed it under her armpit. Then she glanced at the other hill before her and smirked. The hill she tumbled down was only a half hill. Even if her wrist was throbbing in pain, she wasn't going to miss an opportunity to go tobogganing. Even if her dad would kill her when she returned to base._

_However, she underwent the same problems she did with the first hill. She overturned again and tumbled down the hill. She hurt her injured wrist again. This time, she was almost certain that it was broken. Her wrist was swelling up and pulsating. And the pain was unbearable._

"_I see someone's still a daredevil."_

_Talida gasped as she sat up and looked around behind her. She saw two faces looking at her. One was familiar. The other face, on the other hand, was strange. But she was more than happy to see the familiar face._

"_Arcee!" Talida squealed happily as she went to stand up._

"_God. You've grown up," Arcee smiled as she held Talida close._

_"How did you get here? When did you get here?" Talida immediately began asking._

"_Just now," Cliffjumper answered, "So you're the famous Talida. Arcee here wouldn't shut up about you."_

"_Likewise with you," Talida smiled._

"_How's everyone been?" Arcee asked._

"_Fine. Everyone misses you though," Talida told her, "Anyway, how did you get here? I don't see a ship!"_

_"It's a long story, kid," Cliffjumper warned._

"_I've got an hour," Talida shrugged, "Dad's not expecting me back for a while."_

"_Are you sure that's wise with your wrist?" Arcee questioned worriedly, gesturing to her broken wrist._

_Talida rolled her eyes slightly. She knew that things were going to be fun._

* * *

"Cliffjumper hardly knew me and vouched for me. He came up with the lie that when I saw them, I was so surprised that I fell down the hill and landed on my wrist the wrong way. Spent a month and a half with an itchy cast on my wrist. But that day, I saw the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Talida finished sadly.

"Hey. We'll make our own memories together. We've got that concert in a few months," Miko reminded her.

"_Arcee, you're needed back at base._"

"On our way, honey," Arcee answered before turning off the commlink.

With nods, Miko and Talida stood up and went to walk away arm in arm. Arcee's story made their bond even stronger. Now…

Everyone was going to have a hard time separating them.

"_**ON HIS FACE IS A MAP OF THE WOLRD!**_

**_From yesterday, it's coming…  
_**_**From yesterday, the fear…  
**__**From yesterday, it calls him…  
**__**But he doesn't wanna read the message here…**_

_**From yesterday…  
**__**From yesterday…  
**__**From yesterday, the fear…**_

_**From yesterday…  
**__**From yesterday…  
**__**But he doesn't wanna read the message…  
**__**He doesn't wanna read the message…**_

_**HE DOESN'T WANNA READ THE MESSAGE HERE…**_"

* * *

**This is officially the longest chapter I've done for Rising Storms for a while.**

**PROMO TIME!**

**SMOKESCREEN'S COMING!**

* * *

_**Show Jack, Talida, Raf and Bumblebee looking at a picture on Raf's laptop**_

_Talida: Oh my God! Is that…_

_Raf: A Cybertronian escape pod?!_

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Arcee: Autobot or Decepticon?_

_Ratchet: Impossible to tell._

_Optimus: This merits investigation._

_**Show Bumblebee, Talida, Optimus, Arcee and Ratchet exploring a damaged forest**_

_Talida: Watch your sixes._

_**Show a small river of Energon coming from the escape pod**_

_**Show Insecticons shooting at them**_

_**Show the Autobots fighting**_

_Arcee: INCOMING!_

_Optimus: FALLBACK!_

_**Show the Autobots crouching behind a rock as an explosion occurs**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

_Smokescreen: OUTSTANDING!  
_

_Talida: I'm enjoying this already._

* * *

**YEP! YOU HEARD RIGHT! SMOKESCREEN'S JOINING THE TEAM, BITCHES! Personally, I find Smokescreen to be highly amusing and I'm going to look forward to write in scenes with Smokescreen and Talida in this story.**

**Episode list remaining (excluding New Recruit and extra chapters):**

**1. The Human Factor  
****2. Legacy  
****3. Alpha/Omega  
****4. Hard Knocks  
****5. Inside Job  
****6. Patch  
****7. Regeneration  
****8. Darkest Hour**

**If I included the extra chapters I'm planning to include, we wouldn't even have a top ten. I'm not saying how many more we have left, though.**

**REVIEW! FAVE! ALERT! Make sure you do that! Stop leaving reviews on Rising Darkness and Fading Light because I won't reply to them. Also, stop alerting Rising Darkness and Fading Light. Because I don't see a point in alerting a story if it's finished. If you wanna see Rising Storms, subscribe to me so when Rising Storms is finished, you'll know when I upload **_**Rising Suns**_**.**

**BYE!**


	16. New Recruit

**Wow. I'm on a roll with the chapters.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**No No I completely understand your logic! For example, an author agreed to add 2 of my OC's, Skyfall and Star Pax in her story. Skyfall is already set into motion and Star Pax has yet to come. And I have to help the author make things work for both of them, especially there back stories, and I know it's not a cakewalk. You're right, introduction takes time, especially with my 3**__**rd**__** OC Amelia Trion, who's gonna be in another story from another author, she is the one involed with The Chain Reaction I told you some time ago… Per my instructions.**_

**I get what you mean with the helping the author thing. When I put some of my stories up for adoption and another author adopted one of them, I had to explain what would happen at the end of the story and for the rest of the series and stuff like that.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Awesome chappie! I can't wait for the next one!**_

**Thanks!**

**Awesomo3000: **_**LOVE this episode, it really explores Arcee and Cliff's relationship with each other! And I love how you added Talida into it!**_

_**But the next episode is my favourite Season 3 episode! Why? Yep, you guessed it. **__** Please update!**_

**_And question: Will Talida have a good friendship with Smokescreen like Jack, or will she be distrusting at first like Arcee and Ratchet?_**

**You're gonna have to read the chapter to find out, mate.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**Can't wait for Smokescreen!  
**_

**Neither can I!**

**lancepm: **_**bring scatter shot, hot shot and red alert into the mix. So 11 autobots plus two incarnations where scanned bye ultra magnus.**_

**I have no idea who most of them are.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Shockwave freaks me out and makes me mad! I'd sure like to punch his optic out! Poor Arcee. She misses her friend. I've lost friends before, so I can relate. **__** Please update! I NEED MORE OF THIS!  
**_

**I've lost a few friends myself. Not by death. But because they decided to be backstabbing bitches and try to alienate me from the entire school. But…their plan backfired and no one wants anything to do with them. So there's karma for them.**

**haloagenl21: **_**Aw. Wonderful chapter, Ice **__** I could feel Arcee's pain in this. If you don't mind me asking, what do you think of Smokescreen being the new Prime in the Beast Hunter's show right now?  
**_

**I can actually almost see it. They'll have to convince me a bit more, though.**

**JAVNightAngel: **_**It be interesting if Miko became 'with child', after they interface again.**_

_**CHVRedPhantom: Like in the end of season 1 when Arcee revealed she was pregnant?**_

**_CZSTeridaxPrime: Precisely! Logic dictates that if it happens, could make season 3 more exciting… Through different varieties. Yet, the author may or may not go for it._**

_**NASSkyquake: Perhapes the child could be born after Season 3 is finished… It is the last one.**_

**Er, guys. I'm right here, you know. I can tell you this. Yes. Either Arcee, Miko or Talida will be pregnant throughout season three. The pregnancy will nearly kill them. And no. I'm not saying who it is! You'll have to wait for **_**Fading Suns**_** to find out. But for now, you can guess.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**SMOKESCREEN'S COMING TO EARTH BABY! I might not like the guy much after Legacy but that doesn't mean he isn't badaft! Especially with the Phase Shifter.**_

**Honestly, I'm just sort of glad that the writers are making him grow up in season three by having him protect Optimus and try to save him.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**The Great Escape**_** belongs to Boys Like Girls and Columbia Records.**

**About the song choice… I ONLY HAD A LIMITED LIST TO CHOOSE FROM, ALRIGHT?! The rest were kid songs and I do NOT wanna use kid songs in my stories if I can help it!**

**ENJOY!**

**Also…anyone else eager for the fourth episode to air next week? Honestly, after seeing the Singapore special, the fourth episode is all I want!**

* * *

"_Paper bags and plastic hearts.  
__All our belongings in shopping carts.  
__It's goodbye…  
__But we've got one more night…_

_Let's get drunk and ride around.  
__And make peace with an empty town.  
__We can make it right…_

_Throw it away!  
Forget yesterday!  
We'll make the great escape…  
__We won't hear a word they say!  
__They don't know us anyway…_

_Watch it burn!  
__Let it die!  
__'Cause we are finally free!  
__Tonight…_"

Sometimes, for people at the Autobot base, their days consisted of going through alien conspiracy websites to make sure that any member of their alien family weren't caught on camera. Unfortunately for them, the camera loves Bumblebee. And Jack, Talida and Raf seeing a photo of Bumblebee in full alien form racing through a small town showed this.

"I'm on it," Talida smirked, "Removing my future husband and the father of my child and replacing him with…"

Using Raf's Laptop, she removed the picture of Bumblebee and placed it in Raf's personal encrypted folder. She then pulled out another picture and placed it in the slot where the photo of Bumblebee once resided. The three of them had a hard time stifling their laughter at the tap dancing monkey.

"The tap dancing monkey strikes again," Jack smirked as the three of them shared a hi-five, "I can now see where Raf inherited his computer genius."

"Where did you think he got it from?" Talida joked, earning a playful glare from Bumblebee, "You know I love you no matter what."

"**Nice save,**" Bumblebee bleeped as he nuzzled his helm against the crook between Talida's neck and shoulder.

"Mum, dad, get a room," Raf pleaded.

"Bumblebee's sightings on the world wide web are no laughing matter!" Ratchet chided from his position at the main computer, destroying the joking atmosphere between the two.

"Seven… Eight… Nine…," Miko counted as she and Bulkhead laid on their sides…doing Pilates.

"You know, there are a lot of things I will never be able to get out of my head. Bulkhead doing Pilates is one of them!" Talida called with a laugh as she watched the way Bulkhead had to lift his leg.

"Why can't I just drive from now on?" Bulkhead asked, not enjoying the painful aspect of physical therapy.

"Because your legs will atrophy if you don't use them!" Ratchet immediately answered on Miko's behalf.

"One… Two… Three…," Miko began counting again, despite Bulkhead's protests.

"Wait. What's that?" Jack wanted to know as he pointed at the photo that was titled 'Mystery Meteor'.

"Don't know," Talida shrugged as she zoomed in on the meteor…only to be startled by the fact it wasn't a meteor, "Oh my God. Is that…?"

"A Cybertronian escape pod?!" Raf finished in disbelief.

Everyone else heard Raf's cry in surprise and everything seemed to be at a standstill.

"Here in Earth's atmosphere?!" Ratchet exclaimed in surprise.

"I'll transfer it to the big screen. You're gonna need to see it to believe it," Talida remarked as she did so.

"Autobot or Decepticon?" Arcee inquired.

"Impossible to tell given the image resolution," Ratchet sighed.

"In any event, this merits investigation," Optimus proclaimed.

"Could be a trap," Arcee warned, "And we're down one bot."

"Want me to reach out to Wheeljack?" Talida offered, already opening her cell phone, showing just how eager she is to be able to talk to him.

"I can here you!" Bulkhead called from his position on the floor sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"I don't care if Bulkhead isn't combat ready! After that revenge stunt he pulled with Miko and Talida, Wheeljack can stay rogue!" Ratchet voiced his opinion.

"An Autobot may be in distress. Ratchet, bring your medical kit," Optimus instructed.

"Well, if there is an Autobot in distress, I'm not sitting this one out," Talida decided as she grabbed her sword and raced down the stairs, "Besides, I've sat out enough."

"You have sat out on enough missions when I say you have," Optimus objected, "You're still in trouble after that revenge stunt you pulled with Wheeljack and Miko a few weeks ago, young lady."

"Dad, you do realize that I'm gonna sneak out either way like Miko does, right?" Talida asked dryly, "So you might as well take me along to save me the trouble of being sneaky. Besides, if I did end up going on that mission and Bulkhead went with you, what would you do?"

* * *

Talida had won the argument and was able to join the others on the mission. Using the GroundBridge, she, Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Ratchet arrived at the forest area where the escape pod crash-landed. Talida had to withhold a shudder in fear. The area looked a lot like the mountain forest where Airachnid's ship crash-landed.

"Watch your sixes," Talida warned.

When they reached the pod, Arcee removed the dirt and other substances that were covering the insignia. When they did, they saw the red insignia stand out amongst the black and grey of the pod.

"It is of Decepticon origin," Optimus rumbled.

"And the 'Con inside blew his way out," Arcee pointed out.

"We're toast," Talida proclaimed.

"Whoever was housed inside may be vulnerable and unable to attack, Talida," Optimus stated.

"I wasn't talking about the 'Con, dad," Talida shook her head, earning a look of confusion from Optimus as she unsheathed her sword, "Let me put it this way: I hate these things!"

The other Autobots heard the sounds of shots being fired and saw what Talida was talking about.

Vehicons and Insecticons were coming in for an attack.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_Tonight will change our lives.  
__It's so good to be by your side.  
__We'll cry…  
__We won't give up the fight…_

_We'll scream loud at the top of our lungs.  
__And they'll think it's just 'cause we're young.  
__And we'll feel so alive…_

_Throw it away!  
__Forget yesterday!  
__We'll make the great escape…  
__We won't hear a word they say!  
__They don't know is anyway…_

_Watch it burn!  
Let it die!  
'Cause we are finally free!  
Tonight…_"

It was raining blaster fire as the Autobots and Decepticons shot at each other. The only ones that weren't opening fire on their enemies were the Insecticons, who typically prefer to get their hands dirty. As they ducked for cover, Arcee had to wonder.

"All those Decepticons came out of one pod?!" Arcee said in disbelief.

"Humans refer to the phenonema as a…what is it again?" Ratchet asked Talida.

"Clown car!" Talida provided the answer as she used her telekinesis powers – powers she hadn't used for a while – to force one Vehicon into another.

"Thank you!" Ratchet called over the blaster fire.

"Dad, watch out!" Talida warned as she saw the Insecticon swarming in for the attack.

Optimus took care of the Insecticon coming to attack him thanks to Talida's warning. Pit. He even took care of the second one!

Ratchet, however, wasn't as lucky as his leader and dearest, oldest friend. He was smashed into a boulder by another Insecticon, who prepared to deliver the fatal blow to the medic. Ratchet's optics widened in horror as he prepared for the inevitable.

"Hey!" Talida cried as she and Arcee went to attack the Insecticon and defend Ratchet, "There's only one person in this group that can mess with the medic! And that's me! …Hey! Where's that extra firepower coming from?!"

She turned around and watched an unknown figure approaching them. The unknown figure looked like Bumblebee. However, he was red, white and blue and had the patterns of a sports car rather than a muscle car. And from the looks of things, he was on their side.

"Incoming!" Arcee called as she and Bumblebee aimed their blasters at him.

"Down in front!" he called back as he jumped over them and took down a drone.

"We can relax! He's on our side!" Talida reassured them before muttering, "I think."

One of this stranger's blaster shots hit the small river of Energon outside the pod, igniting it to explode. Having seen this – having blown up a ship by doing this before – Talida knew what was going to happen.

"The pod's gonna blow!" Talida yelled.

"FALLBACK!" Optimus ordered as he scooped Talida in his hand and took off running.

All six Autobots barely managed to find cover in time before the pod exploded. The force of the explosion left them barely able to stay on their feet. When the smoke cleared, they saw blue flames attacking the ground and what was left of the trees in the area. There were also no signs of the Vehicons and Insecticons that were attacking them before. It was safe to presume they were killed in the explosion.

The stranger that helped them was the first to emerge from his hiding place. When he surveyed the damage, he let out a loud whoop.

"WHOO! OUTSTANDING! TOO HOT FOR YOU, 'CONS?!" he whooped.

"Friend of yours?" Ratchet asked Bumblebee, Talida and Arcee.

He earned a shrug back from Bumblebee.

"Never seen him before," Arcee admitted.

"The only Cybertronians I know are Alpha Trion, the 'Cons and you guys," Talida reminded Ratchet.

"Torching that Energon leak. Pretty good plan, right?" the stranger said.

"Except that it wasn't your plan," Arcee pointed out, "It was a random shot that almost fried us to a crisp!"

"Worked out, didn't it?" he retorted.

"Thank you, fellow Autobot," Optimus thanked as he finally stepped forward, causing the young stranger to gape at the Autobot leader, "Your valor is to be commended."

"I…don't believe it!" he gasped excitedly.

"Here we go," Talida muttered with a smirk.

"You're Optimus Prime!" he cried excitedly before turning to the others, "He's Optimus Prime!"

"I know. He's my dad," Talida laughed.

"And you're Princess Rayna's incarnate! One of the prophecies that I've heard said that when the time was right, Princess Rayna would live on through her incarnate who would be born to the last living Prime! I don't believe it!" the stranger cried in glee.

"What's your name, soldier?" Optimus asked.

"Smokescreen, sir!" Smokescreen answered as he saluted to Optimus and Talida.

"Welcome to Earth, Smokescreen," Talida smiled warmly as she climbed onto her father's shoulder.

"It's an honor to be here," Smokescreen gushed as he shook hands with Optimus after he stretched out his hand, "Especially with you!"

"Now what?" Ratchet muttered, causing everyone to look at him, "It's not like we can just bring him back to base."

"Wouldn't be the first time an ally turned out to be a plant," Arcee pointed out, remembering how Starscream managed an attempt to infiltrate the base by having Makeshift disguise himself as Wheeljack after picking up a few transmissions.

"I see you received your training from Cybertron's Elite Guard," Optimus observed, noticing the special red Autobot insignia with two stripes on either side near Smokescreen's arm rotor.

"Wait, wait, wait. Elite Guard?!" Talida gasped excitedly as she leant closer to Smokescreen to have a look at the red Autobot Elite Guard insignia for herself, "Hey! What do you know?! I'm enjoying this already!"

"True enough," Smokescreen shrugged casually back at Optimus and Talida, not really fazed by the honor, "Though, it wasn't much more than a boot camp by the time I joined. I never even got a proper graduation ceremony!"

"There was a war going on," Arcee stated dryly, very much with Ratchet on whether or not they should be quick to trust the young Autobot standing before him.

"Hey! All I ever wanted was to be a soldier. To serve the Autobot cause. But what I got was security detail at Iacon," Smokescreen grumbled.

"The Hall of Records?!" Talida said in surprise.

"Of all places," Ratchet muttered before turning to his leader, "Optimus, do you not find this highly suspicious?"

"Smokescreen, what was your assignment inside the hall?" Optimus inquired.

"Guarding Alpha Trion during what turned out to be the final few days of the war. I even got to meet Princess Rayna a few times. That's how I found out about her incarnate," Smokescreen answered as he pointed to Talida, "Er…I never caught your name."

"Talida," Talida told him.

"You served under the master archivist?" Optimus said in amazement.

"I wasn't thrilled at first. Watching the back of an old bot instead of kicking 'Con tailpipe!" Smokescreen grumbled, then he earned 'The Look' from Optimus Prime, "Sorry. But the Big A turned out to be a good teacher and a true friend. I mean, he was the one who helped Princess Rayna petition to Halogen and her parents in the High Council to make you a Prime."

"I can vouch for that one," Talida smiled, remembering her experience with Alpha Trion on Cybertron.

"You've met him?" Smokescreen gasped excitedly.

"I'll tell you about it sometime," Talida promised with a smile.

"Rafael, activate the GroundBridge," Optimus instructed over the commlink, convinced enough.

"That's it?" Arcee said in disbelief, "That's all you need to hear before inviting him to the party?!"

"If my former mentor shared this information, it is because he considered Smokescreen a trusted ally," Optimus pointed out.

"He does have a point, you know," Talida shrugged in agreement, despite the looks of doubt Arcee and Ratchet were casting her way, "Trust me on this one, OK?"

* * *

That was all that was said before they brought Smokescreen back to the base. Immediately after bringing him back and the necessary introductions were made, Miko ambushed the poor guy very much like she did with Bulkhead when she first found out the secret and Wheeljack when he arrived the first time around.

"We haven't had someone new here since Wheeljack! What's your story, Smoke? Where did you come from? How did you get here? How many blasters are you packing?!" Miko asked eagerly, leaving Smokescreen standing there confused.

"So these are the life forms we're supposed to protect?" Smokescreen asked before turning to Ratchet, "Are they all like this?"

"Fortunately not. But I, too, share Miko's fascination on how you came to arrive on Earth," Ratchet admitted.

"In a Decepticon escape pod!" Arcee piped in as she stepped forward with Cayden in her arms.

"Hey! Who's this little dude? Hello, little guy!" Smokescreen cooed to Cayden, earning giggles from the six-month-old sparkling whom immediately clasped Smokescreen's thumb in his tiny servos.

"That's my little brother, Cayden. He's dad's and Arcee's son," Talida answered.

"And you've still got trust issues, huh? Tough crowd!" Smokescreen remarked before answering one of Miko's question and satisfying Ratchet's fascination, "The main press of combat operations were at least 20 klicks from the Hall of Records. So things had been pretty quiet. But the situation went downhill fast.

The 'Cons launched a massive surge that wiped out the last line of defenses surrounding Iacon. I was the only thing left to hold them back. And let me tell ya! I was pumped! I mean, this was my chance to see real action for the first time! To prove myself! …Until everything went back.

The 'Cons took me as prisoner and dumped me on a transport ship. But I managed to give the guard a slip and hop into an escape pod. Apparently, it was a long distance pod, because it knocked me into stasis. Next thing I knew, I'm hitting solid ground. Hard."

"The Decepticon warship must have picked up the escape pod's beacon and guided it to Earth," Ratchet surmised.

"Which would explain Smokescreen's welcoming committee," Arcee piped in.

"Anyone wanna bet that the 'Cons weren't happy about not finding one of their own inside?" Talida asked cheekily, "I know I would be if I didn't find Malita in there."

If that wasn't a hint for Optimus that Talida was still hurting about having to turn off her own cousin's life support because of the injuries her father had given her, he didn't know what was.

"Smokescreen, do you know of Alpha Trion's fate after the fall of Iacon?" Optimus inquired worriedly, briefly forgetting the adventures his wife, daughter and someone he considered a son had on Cybertron with the head archivist.

"I wish I did. But that was the last I ever saw of him," Smokescreen sighed sadly.

"I've seen him," Jack piped in, "So did Arcee and Lida. He saved our lives when we were stranded on Cybertron."

"So that's it. My life story. Not exactly the glory I envisioned for myself…until now! Being here with Optimus Prime and Princess Rayna's incarnation! I knew I was destined for great things!" Smokescreen cried happily, "I mean, now that you have help, how hard can it be to end this war?!"

Smokescreen heard a groan and a growl, causing him to turn around immediately. When he did, he saw Bulkhead limping towards the main room. His left was dragging across the floor, which immediately told him that he was severely attacked during a battle and he was struggling to recover from the injuries. Immediately, he began to regret his last question of ignorance.

"Take a good look, newbie. This is how hard," Bulkhead snarled.

"Smokescreen, I would suggest that you take the time to get acclimated to your new surroundings. A tour of the base would be an excellent start," Optimus suggested.

"Sure thing!" Miko said eagerly, earning a sigh of sadness from Bulkhead, "I mean, Jack here offers a very informative tour!"

"And Lida's lived here her entire life," Jack piped in with a smirk.

* * *

"This is what humans call the Information Superhighway?!" Starscream scoffed in disbelief as he used the computers to explore the internet, "A trillion megabytes of data and none of it's useful?!"

Even though he wouldn't admit it, he found the tap dancing monkey that Talida used to replace the picture of Bumblebee on the conspiracy website highly amusing.

"Though some oddly engrossing," Starscream chuckled before noticing an odd picture with red crystals, "What is this? Ignorant life forms have no idea what they've uncovered! Red Energon! If I can possess its power, not only will I be stronger! But also, faster! Significantly faster!"

* * *

"Phase shifter," Jack began kicking off the list of the Iacon relics they possessed as they walked past their storage vaults.

"Spark extractor," Talida continued.

"Immobilizer," Jack went on.

"This is where we store the Cybertronian relics that we find buried on Earth," Talida surmised.

"And talk about a small universe," Jack remarked, "Because most of them came from…"

"The Iacon Hall of Records," Smokescreen finished as he looked into the vault with the phase shifter, "I remember these. …Whoa! What kind of relic is she?!"

Talida froze, immediately knowing whom Smokescreen was talking about. She didn't need to turn around to figure out that Smokescreen found the vault where they were storing Airachnid, still enclosed in the stasis pod.

"The kind you don't wanna mess with," Talida snarled.

* * *

"If you wanted to replace me, you should have called Wheeljack!" Bulkhead said to Optimus, "I could have lived with that!"

"No one is replacing you, Bulkhead," Arcee promised, "For one thing, Smokescreen's too green."

"While Bulk's as green as can get!" Miko smirked.

"What Arcee means is Smokescreen still has a great deal to learn," Ratchet corrected.

"And once you've got him trained, then what?! He's in! I'm a doorstop!" Bulkhead snapped, "Pit! Even my own goddaughter's taken to him!"

"Bulkhead, your place with us is not in jeopardy. But there is no dispute that we have long required additional firepower. It is essential that our team learns to work with our new recruit. Not against him," Optimus proclaimed.

"And don't worry about Tally. She still loves you, Bulkhead. And you said so herself. You're her godfather. She only has one of those," Arcee reminded him, "Besides, you know how happy she gets whenever she meets a new Autobot. Hadn't it been for the situation we were in when we were on Cybertron, she would've been the same way with Alpha Trion."

"I hope the hot shot's blasters are as big as his mouth," Bulkhead grumbled, "How hard can it be?"

"Hey, everyone!" Raf called from his position by the computers, "Check this out!"

"Don't tell me it's another Bumblebee sighting!" Ratchet scoffed, before gaping and being forced to eat his words, "Oh my…"

"Red Energon," Optimus rumbled.

"Here?! On Earth?!" Ratchet cried in surprise.

"What's Red Energon?" Raf asked.

"An extremely rare and volatile form of Energon. Refined into fuel, it provides the power of hyper speed," Ratchet clarified.

"We must have Agent Fowler clear the dig site of all human presence in the event we are not the only ones to have discovered its location," Optimus proclaimed.

"Now you're talking!" Smokescreen cheered as he, Jack and Talida walked into the room, "Let's scramble some 'Con circuits!"

"Not so fast, Smokey!" Talida immediately began to protest, "You're not going!"

"My daughter is correct. Given your limited field experience, I believe further training is required before you're battle ready," Optimus decreed, something that Smokescreen didn't want to hear.

"Optimus, with all due respect…," Smokescreen began to protest.

"Furthermore, we Autobots live on this planet as Robots in Disguise. You will need to obtain an Earth-based vehicle mode," Optimus told him.

"In order to maintain a low profile," Arcee piped in, "If that's possible for you."

"If you're talking wheels, bring them on!" Smokescreen cried happily.

* * *

"THE RED ENERGON IS MINE, HUMANS!" Starscream roared as he jumped through the GroundBridge, the Apex Armor in his hand, "For you are powerless in the face of the might Star-! What?! Where is it?!"

In his rant upon entrance from the GroundBridge portal, Starscream had neglected to search the area. It took him a while to realize the following.

There were no humans. The site was clear of the workers and the equipment they used to unearth what Starscream was looking for. Not even markers to say that the area was closed off or so they'd know where to find the dig site.

Oh. And the Red Energon was gone.

* * *

Smokescreen, Jack and Talida were lying on their stomachs on top of a boulder (making sure they were hidden) overlooking the main highway in Jasper, Nevada. Jack and Talida had made it their mission to make sure Smokescreen obtains his vehicle form so when he leaves the base, he's disguised. However, he was having trouble finding a suitable form, turning down virtually every type of vehicle Jack and Talida would point out.

"Nope," Smokescreen shook his head at a white car that had driven past, not liking how simple it looked.

"How about that one?" Jack suggested as he pointed to a slow-moving Ute.

"It's more Ratchet's speed, don't you think?" Smokescreen shook his head.

"More Ratchet's speed," Talida laughed before proclaiming, "I like you better already!"

"Cement truck?" Jack offered.

"Yeah. If I were a Constructacon," Smokescreen scoffed.

"Constructacon?" Talida repeated in confusion, "OK. I have heard of Vehicons, Terracons, Insecticons and Predacons, which are thankfully extinct. But…I've never heard of a Constructacon."

"I'll explain later," Smokescreen promised Talida before scoffing, "Seriously! This is the best your planet has to offer?!"

"No. But this is Jasper," Jack sighed.

"I feel for ya," Smokescreen sighed.

"Knew I should've asked Ratchet to GroundBridge us to Europe. Europeans make the best cars," Talida remarked.

"Hey. What happened on your voyage to Cybertron?' Smokescreen suddenly asked, causing Jack and Talida to glance at each other uncomfortably, "What?"

"A lot happened," Jack sighed, "Before, during and after."

"I don't think we should be talking about this when we're supposed to be looking for a suitable vehicle mode," Talida shook her head, "But I will tell you one day."

"Maybe we should go somewhere else to look," Jack suggested.

"Wait!" Talida cried as she pointed at a car driving by, "How about that one?!"

"Perfect," Smokescreen smirked as he scanned it into his internal database.

* * *

Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee raced through the GroundBridge portal as they arrived at a cargo port. They knew that the Red Energon wasn't where the photo was taken. They had managed to trace the Red Energon to somewhere at the port.

They eventually found the Red Energon. It wasn't somewhere on the ground. It was hanging right above them. All packed up and lifted by a crane to be placed in a freight container to be shipped away.

"Fowler couldn't have a crane operator lower the thing?" Arcee said in disbelief.

"The humans must have been preparing to transfer a meteor to a cargo ship when they received his evacuation order," Optimus reasoned.

"Run along home, Autobots!" Starscream smirked at them, causing them to transform their servos into weapons instantly, "That Red Energon has my name written all over it!"

With those words said, he placed the emblem on his chest and allowed himself to be enveloped in the safety and protection of the Apex Armor. For Optimus, it provided them with the trouble they were going to have defeating the Decepticon rogue. But it also taunted him about his failure during the relic hunt.

"And I am more than willing to fight for it," Starscream sneered.

"Secure the Red Energon and have Ratchet bridge it back to base," Optimus instructed Arcee and Bumblebee as he prepared to fight Starscream.

When Arcee and Bumblebee ran off to obey their leader's instructions, the battle between Optimus and Starscream began. As Starscream approached the Autobot leader, Optimus began opening fire on the Decepticon rogue. When Starscream was close enough, he resorted to hand-to-hand combat, realizing his firepower would be useless. Starscream was quick to gain the upper hand over Optimus, which was shown by him throwing the Autobot leader into a series of freight boxes.

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten our last encounter, Prime!" Starscream taunted with a smirk.

"Keep moving, Bee," Arcee instructed Bumblebee, who had stopped to glance at the battle below.

When Starscream turned to face the freight crane, he noticed Arcee and Bumblebee climbing up it, intending to take the Red Energon and deliver it back to base while he was distracted battling Optimus. Slowly, but dangerously, he approached the crane, thinking of a plan that would stop them and possibly destroy them.

* * *

"Optimus, is something wrong?" Ratchet asked Optimus worriedly over the commlink.

"_Starscream has come for the Red Energon. And I fear he will not be deterred at his quest._"

"Starscream?!" Smokescreen repeated in disbelief as he, Jack and Talida walked into the main command centre, "I've heard stories about that stiletto-heeled creep from Princess Rayna back on Cybertron! Send me in, doc!"

"When Optimus requires backup, he will ask for it," Ratchet immediately objected.

"Aw come on! I've got my v-mode and everything! I'm suited up and ready to roll!" Smokescreen protested.

"What part of further training did you not understand?!" Ratchet snapped before resuming his work on the commlink and the GroundBridge.

"Then at least let me go!" Talida pleaded.

"You're not entirely forgiven for that revenge stunt you pulled with Wheeljack and Miko," Ratchet reminded her.

"When has that ever stopped me?!" Talida retorted, "Starscream's a determined bastard! He's not gonna stop until he gets that Red Energon and he'll do whatever it takes to get it!"

"NO MEANS NO, TALIDA!" Ratchet roared, "WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!"

"I understand more than you think, doc," Talida muttered darkly, deliberately pushing his buttons, "And trust me when I say that I understand a lot more than you do."

Smokescreen wasn't one to give up that easy. All he was eager for was his first taste of battle. As he stated before, by the time he signed up for the Elite Guard, it had turned into a boot camp. He never even got a proper graduation ceremony. When he did get involved in the war, all he did was guard Alpha Trion in Iacon. Then he was mysteriously knocked out and then captured during the final days of the War for Cybertron. All he wanted was a chance to prove himself.

Talida, on the other hand, was mostly pissed about the fact that her family was in danger and due to her being on punishment for her revenge stunt; she wasn't allowed to go out in the field and help them. But she was going to go anyway. After all…

It wouldn't be the first time that she has broken the rules.

* * *

"The higher you climb, the higher you fall!" Starscream tormented as he chased Arcee and Bumblebee up the freight crane.

Eventually, Arcee and Bumblebee managed to reach the top of the crane. While Arcee decided to go after the Red Energon, Bumblebee decided to attempt an attack. Since he hadn't battled Starscream with the Apex Armor before, he had no idea that as long as Starscream wore that armor, he wouldn't be able to attack him by any conventional means.

"Autobots! Such slow learners!" Starscream cackled.

* * *

"Optimus! What is your status?!" Ratchet inquired through the commlink, earning no response.

"Ratchet! They need me! I can do this!" Bulkhead begged as he limped towards the medic.

"Arcee?" Ratchet tried as he ignored Bulkhead, earning static in response, "Bumblebee?!"

"Did you hear what I said?!" Bulkhead demanded.

"I heard! And I'm ignoring you! This might be your opportunity after all, Smokescreen!" Ratchet remarked, only to notice that the new recruit and the incarnate of Cybertron's princess was missing, "Where are Smokescreen and Talida?"

* * *

"That's the one," Smokescreen proclaimed as Talida opened the vault that housed the phase shifter.

"As far as dad is concerned, I found you going into the vault," Talida reminded him.

"Trust me, Talida. Throwing you under the bus is the last thing I intend to do," Smokescreen retorted.

"You two!" Ratchet called as he approached them, "What in the name of the AllSpark were you doing?!"

"Just relax and let me do the talking," Talida told Smokescreen, before noticing the glare that Ratchet was giving her specifically, "OK. We're toast, aren't we?"

"Big time," Smokescreen nodded in agreement.

"Big time," Ratchet echoed in agreement, "You have some explaining to do, young lady."

"Well…," Talida trailed off nervously.

* * *

As Arcee raced ahead to obtain the red Energon, Bumblebee fought Starscream. Unfortunately, Bumblebee is still to realize that Starscream was invincible against blaster fire. Starscream easily walking up to Bumblebee and knocking him over the edge of the walkway showed this. Fortunately for the young scout, he managed to land on the second level and wasn't harmed.

"Time to unload some more dead weight," Starscream smirked as he reached down towards Arcee.

When Arcee looked up, Starscream grew wise to what was about to happen. Looking up as well, he saw Optimus climbing up towards the top of the crane. Starscream's fight or flight instincts failed him as Optimus jumped down and punched the Decepticon rogue. Starscream let out a yell of surprise as he found himself falling. Immediately, he reached up for something to grab.

And that something was the crate containing the Red Energon that he tore open.

His greed trumped common sense as he reached up to take the whole lot. However, he was able to grab only half of the crystal supply and he fell to the ground.

"NO!"

With Starscream out of the way, Optimus grabbed the rope and began pulling the crate up. Arcee immediately went forward to help, knowing that it wasn't an easy task.

Suddenly, the crane began to shake as though it was close to collapsing. Immediately, Optimus and Arcee froze, fearing that moving would shift the tides. Looking down, they saw Starscream holding onto the base on the crane. For Optimus and Arcee, it didn't take long to figure out what Starscream was trying to do.

"Watch your steps, Autobots!" Starscream cackled.

Starscream's cackles echoed around the pier as he began to lift the crane. Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee struggled to maintain their footing as the crane began to topple.

"HEY!"

"Huh?!" Starscream hugged in confusion as he turned his head.

When he did, he saw Smokescreen and Talida racing through a GroundBridge portal. Talida on her hover board – something she hadn't used for a while – and Smokescreen in his recently acquired vehicle mode.

"Apparently, no one defined 'low profile' for him," Arcee muttered to Bumblebee.

"If you wanna live, drop that crane," Talida threatened.

Smokescreen looked at Talida incredulously. By saying that, she presented Starscream the opportunity to push the crane over all the way and possibly kill Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee. Talida just shrugged and told him to watch. To his surprise, Starscream let go of the part and placed it back on the ground instead of pushing it over all the way.

"Ah, Talida Prime. Long time, no see," Starscream sneered.

"Too long isn't long enough!" Talida spat.

"Oh look! The Autobots have a new recruit!" Starscream smirked.

"And you must be Starscream!" Smokescreen said, "I thought you'd be taller!"

"This will not end well," Arcee remarked.

"Smokescreen! Talida! Stand down!" Optimus called down in warning, "You are no match for Starscream's Apex Armor!"

Having seen the Autobot leader raise Talida from a bundle wrapped in blankets to a young woman fighting her own battles, Arcee and Bumblebee knew that Optimus still viewed Talida as his baby girl and wanted nothing more than to jump down and fight Starscream before he had the chance to harm even the smallest hair on her head.

"Any last words, Smokescreen and Talida," Starscream inquired.

"Just four," Smokescreen shrugged casually.

"KISS YOUR ARMOR GOODBYE!" Smokescreen and Talida finished together with a smirk.

With those words said, the phase shifter on Smokescreen's wrist activated. Starscream gaped in horror as he realized what was going to happen. Despite knowing what was to come, he didn't stop Smokescreen from charging at him, knowing that with the phase shifter activated, he would just go right through him.

Talida watched in slight amusement as Smokescreen jumped up and kicked. Naturally, he went right through the Apex Armor. But he didn't go through Starscream. Starscream cried in surprise and horror as Smokescreen literally kicked him out of the Apex Armor.

Well, when he and Talida said that he should kiss his armor goodbye, they weren't kidding.

"A phase shifter?!" Starscream gasped in disbelief as he sat up and gaped at the techno-organic and the Autobot's newest recruit..

"Now that was a plan!" Smokescreen cheered as he knocked the still-standing Apex Armor to the floor, almost crushing Talida with the armor in the process.

"OI!" Talida cried.

"Sorry," Smokescreen apologized sheepishly, causing Arcee to sigh and roll her eyes.

"You aren't the only one sporting a wrist-mounted device!" Starscream roared as he aimed his missile at the crane Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee were standing on, "Think fast!"

Starscream ignored her. Instead, he fired his missile at the walkway Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee were standing on. Neither of them moved to escape almost certain death. They only stood there with optics widened in horror.

Smokescreen and Talida could only watch in horror as the missile crashed into its target and engulfed it in a fiery explosion. The worst thing for them was: they couldn't stop it.

"NO!" Smokescreen cried as he immediately went to shield Talida from the falling debris.

"DAD!" Talida screamed as she raced forward.

Looking up, Smokescreen suddenly began poking Talida in the shoulder when he caught up to her. At first, Talida glared at him for trying to stop her from saving them. However, when she looked up, all was forgiven.

She saw Optimus standing on top of the crane, pulling Bumblebee back up. Immediately, Talida relaxed at the sight of her father, stepmother and fiancé alive and uninjured.

Smokescreen approached the abandoned Apex Armor. It didn't take him long to figure out that the Apex Armor was a relic evacuated from Iacon and that it belongs in the vaults back at the Autobot base.

"Well, there's one good thing that came out of this," Talida shrugged.

As for Starscream, neither Autobot knew where he was. Eventually, they figured out that he did what he always did.

Rather then stick around and endure another battle with the Autobots, he took the Red Energon he managed to salvage and took off to return to the remains of the Harbinger.

* * *

"We told you I just needed to borrow it for a while!" Smokescreen cried, before turning to Optimus to clarify when he noticed the leader's confusion, "Doc here thought I was trying to steal your relics."

"Only until you and Talida explained your plan, which I then sanctioned. It's called protocol!" Ratchet snapped before turning to Talida, "I cannot believe you willingly gave him access to our vaults! How do you know that it isn't the Makeshift incident all over again?! He could've killed you, Talida!"

"Hey!" Smokescreen protested, "At first, she wouldn't open the vault for me! But I coerced her into do it! The blame's 100% mine! Just don't punish her for something I did!"

"Ratchet is correct. Standard procedure must be observed by ever member of this team," Optimus reprimanded, glancing at both Smokescreen and Talida, "However, I also believe that we must commend Smokescreen. You have proven to be a quick study by choosing to place strategy above bravado."

"There's going to be no living with him now," Arcee sighed.

"Aw come on! Admit it. If it weren't for him, you'd be burning to a crisp," Talida stated with a slight smirk.

"OK. I'll give him that," Arcee relented, "But I'm still wary of you!"

"Hey. You mind if I do this one. Technically, I outrank you," Talida reminded her father with a smirk.

Smiling slightly, Optimus scooped Talida into his hand and placed her on the balcony, knowing what she wanted to do. This was true. When Rayna was alive, she outranked Optimus pending on the situation due to her position as Princess of Cybertron and him being the leader of an army. And since Talida is Princess Rayna's incarnate, the same applied to her.

And this was a role that Rayna had reserved for herself.

"OK. I'll admit. This does lack the proper pageantry of a proper Elite Guard ceremony. But we just have to make do. Congratulations, Smokescreen. From this day forward, you are officially a member of Team Prime!" Talida proclaimed happily.

Smokescreen turned to face Arcee, Bumblebee and Ratchet. They just stood there as if it was a proper ceremony rather than something that was done on the spot. But, he'd take that over nothing. Glancing at the humans, he saw Jack smile warmly, knowing fully well that the new recruit was having trouble keeping his happiness inside.

Hearing a moan of pain and a sigh of sadness, Miko's smile disappeared as she turned around and saw Bulkhead holding onto the doorway for support, indicating that his leg was still giving him trouble.

"The newbie did alright," Bulkhead sighed sadly as he glanced at the Apex Armor.

"Don't worry, Bulk. He's got nothing on you!" Miko promised as she raced towards her friend, causing Bulkhead to turn around and walk away, "Seriously! Once we get that leg of yours back into shape, Old Smokey's gonna learn real quick who's the top wrecking ball around here!"

Bulkhead ignored her, still wallowing in a pool made of his sadness and doubt. Instead, he continued walking away, unable to stay in the room with them in there.

"Bulkhead?"

"_All of the wasted time!  
The hours that were left behind!  
The answers that we'll never find!  
They don't mean a thing!  
__Tonight…_

_Throw it away.  
__Forget yesterday.  
__We'll make the great escape…  
__We won't hear a word they say.  
__They don't know us anyway…_

_Throw it away!  
Forget yesterday!  
We'll make the great escape…  
__We won't hear a word they say!  
__They don't know us anyway…_

_Throw it away!  
Forget yesterday!  
We'll make a great escape…  
__We won't hear a word they say!  
__They don't know us anyway…_

_Watch it burn!  
__Let it die!  
__'Cause we are finally free!  
__Tonight..._"

* * *

**Awwwwww… Poor Bulkie!**

**The Human Factor's next! And trust me when I say that I'm dreading this one…**

* * *

_Silas (in Breakdown's body): I'm…one of them…_

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Silas (in Breakdown's body): The perfect meld of man and machine…_

_Ratchet: A Decepticon paired with a human?!_

_Megatron: A threat to anyone anywhere on the planet…_

_**Show a laser beam fire from a satellite down towards Optimus, Arcee, Smokescreen and Bumblebee**_

_**Show Vehicons opening fire on Smokescreen**_

_Megatron: DESTROY THEM! NOW!_

_**Show Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee joining the firefight**_

_Optimus: FALL BACK!  
_

_**Show Silas (in Breakdown's body) firing a missile at Bulkhead and Smokescreen**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

_Talida: Well, this gives a whole new meaning to something J.K. Rowling said._

_Ratchet: What's that?_

_Talida: Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain._

* * *

**That's kinda true. You can't see where Silas is in Breakdown's body and Silas is Breakdown's brain. …yeah. I'm just gonna shut up and get on with this.**

**Here's the remaining episode list (excluding **_**The Human Factor**_** and extra chapters):**

**1. Legacy  
****2. Alpha/Omega  
****3. Hard Knocks  
****4. Inside Job  
****5. Patch  
****6. Regeneration  
****7. Darkest Hour**

**Don't worry. I will be doing a chapter between Smokescreen and Talida soon. In fact, it's after The Human Factor. They get really close…not in a way Optimus and Arcee are, naturally. But like really close friends close. Need to find a song though… Yeah. The extra chapters are pretty much gonna be song-fics.**

**Oh! With Alpha/Omega, you are NOT going to believe what I'm planning! Trust me when I say you are going to be shell-shocked…or maybe not like it.**

**Oh well. The only way for you guys to find out is to leave a review! Go on! Do the usual! Review! Fave! Alert! It's the only way you will find out what's happening.**

**Now, I'm going to go take some pain meds because I'm currently curled up in my bed in tears because of sudden cramps that are so intense, it's hurting just to type this. But…that's how much I love you guys and this story.**

**BYE!**


	17. The Human Factor

**For those of you who don't understand what is going to go down this chapter:**

**MECH scientists implant the dying Silas into a battle armor and life-support system made from Breakdown's dead body. Silas kills the scientists and approaches Megatron, asking for a position in the Decepticon ranks and offering to aid their cause with Project: Damocles, a satellite-based laser weapon system of his own invention.**

**NOW do you see why I'm dreading this episode? Plus side: MECH's last appearance.**

**Now…REVIEW REPLIES!**

**devildog452: **_**Hey I've been meaning to ask. Are you going to do a storm hawks fanfic from the series? Because that would be awsome and I could give you some cool ideas if your interested?**_

**I have no idea who or what Storm Hawks is. So my answer's gonna be no.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**I've been wondering how Talida would react to Smokescreens arrival, great chapter.**_

**Thanks! I just hope I satisfied everyone. And…WHOO HOO! YOU'RE THE 200****th**** REVIEWER! Got a story request? ;)**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Talida or Arcee pregnant again… Primus let it be Miko.**_

_**The Mandarin: Don't you want Bumblebee having another kid?**_

_**We've already covered that on another story… The Chain Reaction!**_

_**The Mandarin: Oh yeah… Fading Suns outta be good.**_

**Chill out, guys. We've still got the rest of this story to go.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**At least Smokescreen had good intentions, thought he still has a lot to learn. Poor Bulkhead. They still care about you. I do too. Human Factor? Eek! I hate that one! Please update!**_

**Feel more sorry for me. I have to write it! Plus side: last episode EVER with MECH. Glad they got rid of them. They were starting to annoy me.**

**F.F.V: **_**First of all, let me guess: Talida's gonna be the one everyone thinks "King Con" obliterated?**_

_**Second of all: I can see some small humor with Raf trying to clarify which mom he's talking about. Then again, since he got his smarts from Talida, I assume she's gonna do what they asked Raf to do in the originals episode. Then again, that wouldn't give Bulk something to do.**_

_**Don't suppose you're gonna wait til season 3 is over before you start you're version of it.**_

**Considering how much of the story I have left and how short season 3 is with 13 episodes, it looks that way. Where did you get the first idea? Because I never hinted towards that!**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**When They Come for Me**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**Man, I'll tell you guys. Choosing a song for this chapter was hard with what the episode is about and most of the songs I was coming up with I had already used. So I went with Linkin Park. You can never go wrong with Linkin Park. …great. I'm gonna wanna do a Bollywood dance.**

**DAMN YOU, ROB BOURDON!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Yeah._

_I am not a pattern to be followed!  
__The pill that I'm on is a tough one to swallow!  
__I'm not a criminal! Not a role model!  
__Not a born leader! I'm a tough act to follow!_

_I am not the fortune and the fame!  
Or the same person telling you to forfeit the game!  
__I came in the ring like a dog on a chain!  
__And then found out the underbelly's sicker than it seems!_

_And it seems ugly! But it can get worse!  
_'_Cause even a blueprint is a gift and a curse!  
__'Cause once you got a theory of how thing works!  
__Everybody wants the next thing to be just like the first!_

_And I'm not a robot! I'm not a monkey!  
I will not dance even if the beat's funky!  
__Opposite of lazy! Far from a punk!_

_Y'all oughta stop talkin!  
__Start trying to catch up, motherfucker!_

_And all the people say…  
__Try to catch up, motherfucker!_"

Since their last encounter with the Autobots, MECH had disappeared off radar. Essentially, they were ghosts. And would be until their leader was back to health. As the medic stated before, in the scope of conventional medicine, Silas' case was hopeless. After all, he was crushed by 20 tons of metal that made up Nemesis Prime, their attempt at a knock-off of Optimus Prime. However, MECH was anything but conventional and they would find a way to bring back their leader.

And that was what they were doing in their new base. This day had been coming for months. They had finally found a way to revive their leader and they were putting it to use.

After connecting the two cables, the power up button was pressed. Electricity coursed through the body of Breakdown who was rebuilt by MECH after Airachnid dismantled him several months ago.

As Breakdown's arms began moving, the machine powering the machine went into overload and was dangerously close to blowing the place up and bringing them back to square one. Fortunately for them, it didn't come to that. Instead, there were only a series of alarms and clouds of smoke. They watched cautiously, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for the ingenious plan of theirs to work.

Their dreams came true when they saw Breakdown's yellow optics come to life. They watched as Breakdown's head turned around and took in the sights around him. When he looked down, he saw one of his chief scientists step forward, immediately letting everyone know that they hadn't succeeded in reviving Breakdown…

But the successful transplantation of Silas into Breakdown's recently mended remains.

"Welcome back, sir," the scientist greeted.

"What have you done?" Silas demanded.

"What we needed to in order to save you, Silas," the scientist answered sympathetically.

"I'm…one of them," Silas observed as he glanced at his hands.

"The logical evolution of MECH's experiments and biotech. Your brain fused with the donor's nervous and skeletal systems," the scientist clarified.

"The perfect meld of man and machine," Silas mused as he looked at the machinery surrounding him from inside Breakdown's recently-mantled body, "Exquisite... Thank you all for your dedication and a lifetime of service. But I now see more suited to keep the exclusive company of titans."

As Silas made his weapons launcher appear on his shoulder and aimed it at the soldiers and scientists below him, everyone knew what was going to happen. After dedicating their time and resources to bring back their leader, he was going to turn around and turn their multiple crisscrosses from their time in the US Military together into double crosses.

Despite their instincts telling them to run, no one did, knowing that wherever they hid, Silas would find them. With a few shots, everyone was dead.

MECH had disbanded. Just not in the way everyone thought it would.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_Lauren said money change the situation.  
__Big said it increase the complication.  
__Kane said don't step. I ain't the one.  
__Chuck said an Uzi weighs a motherfucking ton._

_And I'm just student of the game that they taught me.  
__Rocking every stage and every place that they brought me.  
__I'm awfully underrated but came here to correct it.  
__And so it ain't mistaken, I'mma say it for the record._

_I am the opposite of whack. Opposite of weak.  
__Opposite of slack. Synonym of heat. Synonym of crack.  
__Closest to a peak. Far from a punk._

_Y'all oughta stop talking!  
__Start trying to catch up, motherfucker!_

_And all the people say…  
__Try to catch up, motherfucker!_"

After taking care of his army and destroying the evidence, Silas took off. For him, it didn't take long to figure out how to transform from his bipedal form to his vehicle form. Whenever he was in his vehicle form, Silas would sit in the driver's seat to make it look normal.

Silas drove on until he arrived at a military base. The same one that MECH attacked with Nemesis Prime and the same base Fowler was leaving when he was almost bumped off the road by the very same creation. When he pulled up at the gate, a security soldier stepped out of the booth. When the soldier was standing outside his window, Silas rolled down the window slightly so the soldier could only see his eyes and sneered,

"Colonel Leland Bishop."

* * *

"Bulkhead, you really mustn't allow yourself to decline," Ratchet sighed.

"Yeah, Bulk! You gotta pull yourself out of this funk!" Miko piped in.

During a rainy day in Jasper, Nevada, everyone was confined to the base. Utilizing the opportunity, Ratchet decided to talk to Bulkhead about his lack of motivation and effort when it came to his recovery from the injuries he received during the relic hunt. He had been in a 'funk' since Smokescreen's arrival one week ago.

And Ratchet had enough.

"What's the use?" Bulkhead asked bitterly, still doubtful about his position on Team Prime due to Smokescreen's arrival.

"You need to regain your strength," Ratchet enforced, "The time will come when…"

"When what? You guys will need an assist? Isn't that what the new guy's for?!" Bulkhead snapped.

"Hey, Bulkhead! I've been thinking. With your injury and all, you might wanna take advantage of the armor I snagged from Starscream," Smokescreen suggested as he walked in carrying the Apex Armor, "Instant muscle suit!"

"You think I need a crutch?!" Bulkhead growled as he knocked the Apex Armor out of Smokescreen's hands…and into the computers.

"BULKHEAD! I NEEDED THAT!" Ratchet roared.

"Out of my way, rookie," Bulkhead snapped as he limped away.

"He can walk!" Smokescreen cheered as Bulkhead reached for the lob ball and began working out, "Looks like he's fit for duty to me."

He deflated slightly when he heard Ratchet mutter incoherent phrases before beginning his work to fix the computers that Bulkhead accidentally broke. Miko smiled warmly at Smokescreen. That is, before the two of them notice the trouble Jack and Talida were having.

"You've gotta be kidding, Raf!" Jack cried in disbelief into the phone, "You of all people grounded?!"

"Big time," Raf sighed, "_I misplaced some homework and blew a couple of tests._"

"Translation: A- instead of A," Miko surmised.

"I'm probably spending too much time at the base," Raf shrugged casually, trying to figure out why his grades were starting to slip which resulted in his grounding.

"Rafael! I hope you're not on the phone in there!"

"No, mama!" Raf called back before turning back to his phone, "There's nothing I can do, mum."

"_Honey, officially, I'm your mother._ The adoption never officially took place, remember? And you are so not grounded. We need you," Talida proclaimed.

"_Mum, you need to remember. You and dad left me on a doorstep and you're only four years older than me. I don't think my adoptive mother's going to believe that. Say hi to dad for me. And mum, I love you. And I'm sorry. But until I improve my grades, I'm off of Team Prime._"

"Just when we get one back, we lose another," Miko sighed sadly.

"We'll get Raf back as soon as he improves his grades. I'm sure if I talked to Mrs. Esquivel, she'd let me tutor him and make sure he stays on track," Talida said.

"Did she see you leave Raf on that doorstep 12 years ago?" Jack asked, causing Talida to go mute, "Right. If you show up NOT in disguise, she'll connect the dots."

"Good. That woman scares the living daylight out of me," Talida shuddered.

"Seriously?!" Miko screeched in disbelief, "You defy direct orders from your father. You run head-on into a war, most of the time without thinking straight. You've survived Cybertron and back. You went nose-to-nose to Megatron without blinking. And yet, you're scared of your son's adoptive mother?"

"Er, Miko, you've met her. What? You're scared of her too?" Talida teased.

"What?! Don't be ridiculous! That's…," Miko laughed nervously before turning serious and saying, "Undeniably true. …Jack's scared of her too!"

"I am not! That's is so funny!" Jack chuckled nervously before turning serious, "She terrifies me more than Megatron!"

* * *

Aboard the Nemesis, they were about to get a few surprises themselves. Everything began when Knock Out and Soundwave were monitoring the computers in the main room. A life signal appeared on one of the screens. Normally, this wouldn't surprise them. However, this just happened to be the life signal of someone who has been presumed dead for numerous months.

It was Breakdown's.

"Strange," Knock Out mused, "Lord Megatron! It appears that Breakdown's signal has popped back online! Albeit corrupted."

"Investigate with caution. It may well be an Autobot trick," Megatron warned.

"I certainly hope not. Breakdown may act the brute. But he's a maestro behind a rotary buffer," Knock Out smirked as he brushed some invisible dust off his shoulders to prove his point.

* * *

The base that Silas entered was close to being nothing more than a smoldering pit. Cars were turned over. Tanks were destroyed. Not a single soldier in sight. People who would drive by the base or visit would wonder what had happened.

In the centre of the base, a GroundBridge portal appeared. Emerging from the portal was Knock Out with a handful of Vehicons accompanying him. Clearly, he was following Megatron's advice by approaching the situation with caution. When he looked around, he at first saw nothing out of the ordinary. The base almost a smoldering crisp.

Then he heard the sounds of footsteps and metal grinding against the concrete. Knock Out's interest was directed at the hole in the wall where smoke was coming from. He wanted to know who was inside and what he possessed. Both object-wise and ability-wise.

Who he saw was Breakdown.

But there were differences…

"Breakdown, where have you-?!" Knock Out's question of joy was cut off by horror as he realized that something was wrong, "Breakdown, what happened to you?"

"There in lies a tale that won't nearly be as interesting to Megatron as this," Silas proclaimed as he held a giant silver briefcase in Knock Out's face to prove his point, "So take me to your leader."

* * *

When Fowler found out about the news, the first thing he did was notify the Autobots. This time, instead of the usual video chat that sometimes involved yelling on Fowler's behalf, he flew to the base and told them in person.

"At 1630 hours, a satellite was stolen from a high-security military vault. Surveillance shows the Decepticon known as Breakdown at the scene," Fowler began explaining, causing everyone to look at each other in slight surprise.

"Haven't seen him in a while," Bulkhead remarked, voicing the reason behind everyone's surprise.

"It looks like Breakdown entered the base in vehicle mode with someone behind the wheel," Fowler added after closely examining the security feed he had gotten from the base.

"A Decepticon paired with a human?!" Ratchet exclaimed in disbelief.

"And I have a pretty good idea who. The satellite stolen was Project: Damocles!" Fowler announced.

"Invented by Silas," Optimus rumbled.

"I guess the former Colonel Bishop wanted it back," Fowler shrugged.

"**Didn't he die a few months ago?**" Bumblebee asked.

"Bee's right. I thought Silas was turned into pancake batter. You and I saw him get crushed between the ground and Nemesis Prime with our own eyes," Talida pointed out.

"No argument there," Fowler nodded in agreement.

"Agent Fowler, even if he were alive, are you suggesting that Silas has allied MECH with the Decepticons?!" Ratchet exclaimed in disbelief, "I highly doubt that Megatron would even entertain such an idea!"

"Why not? The human/bot alliance works for us," Jack stated dryly as he wrapped his arms around Miko from behind.

"Most of the time," Arcee muttered.

* * *

"Knock Out! What is this abomination?!" Megatron demanded in anger, "And why have you brought it here?!"

"I am Cylas. As in 'Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis'," Cylas introduced himself as he bowed to Megatron, "I come with a proposition."

"This is the human who dissected Breakdown!" Knock Out cried in anger as he transformed his servo into his rotating saw, "Please, my liege. Allow me to return the favor."

"I propose that you not overlook the one asset that provides Optimus Prime an advantage. At least, on this world," Cylas suggested.

"And that would be…?" Megatron inquired dryly.

"The Human Factor," Cylas clarified with a slight smirk, causing Megatron to figure out what he was hinting.

"Look around you, Cylas! I command an army from a mighty warship! What could a human possibly offer?!" Megatron asked.

"I am no ordinary human and this is no ordinary weapon," Cylas proclaimed as he gestured towards the weapon he had stolen from the military vault.

* * *

"Damocles is a particle beam canon so powerful it can slice up the Pentagon like a birthday cake or give everyone on Mount Rushmore a Mohawk from a satellite in orbit," Fowler explained just what Project Damocles was to everyone in the base, "It's the work of a madman in Megatron's hands."

"This would not be good," Talida remarked.

* * *

"A threat to everyone anywhere on the planet," Megatron mused as he thought about everything Cylas told him.

"With pinpoint accuracy at the flick of a switch," Cylas piped in.

"And what is it that you wish in return?" Megatron inquired, knowing full well that Cylas had a hidden agenda.

"Merely a place at the table," Cylas answered as he bowed once again.

* * *

"The 'Cons may have the satellite. But they can't use it without the interface code. The only copy is stored on a secure network at headquarters in Colorado," Fowler read from the file he held in his hand.

"We must keep the codes from Decepticon hands at all costs," Optimus proclaimed.

"It's roll time!" Bulkhead smirked as he pounded his fist into his open hand as he went to follow.

"I have not cleared you for active duty!" Ratchet was quick to remind Bulkhead, "Nor are you ready to roll!"

* * *

"_Attention! All personnel are ordered to evacuate immediately! We have a level 5 radiation leak! Repeat! Evacuate immediately!_"

The soldiers at the secure building at Colorado assumed that this was a cover Fowler was using to warn everyone on base of an upcoming Autobot/Decepticon battle. However, it was quite the opposite. It was Soundwave using a voice recording of Fowler's he had obtained.

Within moments, he had found his way into the secure building. No sooner than had he found his way inside, he immediately attached his extendable claw to one of the keyboards connected to one of the computers. Within moments, he began downloading the interface code for Project Damocles.

* * *

It didn't take the Autobots long to figure out what was going to happen. So Optimus, Smokescreen, Arcee and Bumblebee immediately bridged to Colorado. Upon arrival, they were met by blaster fire courtesy of the Vehicons standing guard. Immediately, the four Autobots separated. Arcee and Bumblebee hid behind a rock together while Optimus and Smokescreen did the same together.

"The Decepticons have preceded us!" Optimus cried as he transformed his servo into a blaster, "We must secure the command centre!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Optimus and Smokescreen raced ahead. Immediately, Arcee and Bumblebee raced after them to catch up.

* * *

When Megatron saw his enemies on the surveillance, he wasn't happy.

"The Autobots have arrived!" Megatron observed in anger.

"Megatron, relax," Cylas coaxed, earning a glare and a growl from the Decepticon lord, "Lord Megatron, Soundwave may need the code to move and operate the Damocles here aboard your ship. But while jacked into the mainframe, the Damocles is his to command."

With a press of the button, the Damocles satellite was launched from the warship into Earth's orbit. Once in orbit, it transformed into the full shape of the satellite and prepared to power up.

* * *

"_Soundwave, prepare for beta test._"

With a nod in response, Soundwave immediately went to work. With his free extendable claw, he tapped into the free controls for the Damocles satellite. Immediately, he zoomed in on his approaching targets just outside the building.

* * *

Smokescreen transformed into his vehicle mode and raced ahead. When he was close enough, he transformed into his bipedal mode and attacked the Vehicons. One went to tackle him to the ground. But Smokescreen was quick to turn the tide. The Elite Guard member flipped them over and delivered multiple punches to his face.

Then he heard the sound of a small explosion of something breaking through the sound barrier and a loud hum coming from the pitch black skies above him. Looking up, he saw a particle beam hurtling towards him. In horror, he quickly realized what had just happened.

The satellite has been fired.

And he was the first target.

Smokescreen was quick to move out of the way of the rapidly approaching danger. The Vehicon he had been attacking, however, wasn't as lucky as mortal enemy. The Vehicon was struck by the bright particle beam and was quick to be killed.

"Whoa," Smokescreen remarked as he saw the Vehicon he was fighting burnt to a crisp.

"Promising," Megatron observed with a smirk.

Optimus looked up to the skies and saw that the satellite was fired again. This time, he, Arcee and Bumblebee were the targets as well as Smokescreen.

"Fall back!" Optimus immediately instructed as they began running.

When the beam hit the ground, it didn't stop and disintegrate like it did the first time when that Vehicon was killed. This time, it followed the four Autobots around the military base with no signs of simply disintegrating until its target was destroyed.

* * *

"_Ratchet! Talida! We require backup!_"

"I'm there," Bulkhead promised as he went to approach the GroundBridge, only to be stopped by Ratchet speaking gibberish and physically holding the former Wrecker back.

"_Can you remotely disable Project Damocles under Agent Fowler's advisement?_"

"On a human-based computer network?!" Ratchet exclaimed in disbelief.

"_Talida, can you do it?_"

"It looks easy enough. But I'm still going to require backup! I need my son!" Talida answered.

* * *

That was all that needed to be said. A bored Rafael was about to have a mission of his lifetime.

When he heard the familiar whirl and saw the familiar flash, he immediately turned around. To his surprise, he saw Jack, Talida, Miko and Fowler walk through the GroundBridge casually.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Raf demanded as he immediately raced forward to hug his mother.

"Son, your planet needs you," Fowler proclaimed as he knelt down and held out the file for Raf to take.

"It's going to be a bit crazy," Talida warned.

"Compared to what's happened since I joined you guys, I don't think it can be that crazy," Raf scoffed as he accepted the file.

* * *

When the particle beam had finally disintegrated, the Autobots stood on their feet. Arcee was most relieved at the aspect. When she had tripped, Optimus immediately threw himself on top of his spark mate to protect her. Considering how tight he was holding her, she was glad he helped her up and let her breathe.

"Autobots! We must draw it's fire to distract from Rafael's and Talida's efforts!" Optimus proclaimed.

"Somehow, I don't think that'll be a problem," Arcee remarked as they took off running again.

Knowing that they weren't going to go anywhere any faster on foot, they transformed into their vehicle modes, hoping to successfully provide a distraction.

But somehow knowing that Soundwave was involved, they knew that their chances were slim.

* * *

"Ratchet! You gotta send me in!" Bulkhead pleaded.

"So you can be an even easier target?! You have yet to gain your full range of motion!" Ratchet continued his strong protests.

"But Breakdown's back! My archenemy! Come on! Even the kids are in on the action!" Bulkhead whined.

Ratchet sighed, knowing that he was never going to win, and finally relented, "Very well, Bulkhead. You are clear for duty."

"YES!" Bulkhead cheered as he raced towards the GroundBridge.

"A duty of my choosing!" Ratchet quickly added.

* * *

"We're in," Raf proclaimed as he and Talida worked on the file.

"But there's too many firewalls surrounding the targeting systems," Talida observed.

"Come on, guys! If the 'Cons make off with that interface code, Damocles lights the sky 24/7!" Fowler told them.

"Let them have the code," Raf suggested.

"Without the satellite, the code won't be of much use," Talida pointed out.

"Can't say I follow," Fowler admitted, voicing the confusion that Jack and Miko were feeling as well.

"All satellites have moving thrusters so they can adjust their orbits," Raf began the clarification.

"If Raf and I can break into the navigation subroutine, we can bring the satellite crashing down," Talida finished.

"Wow. It's so cool seeing mother and son working together," Miko whispered to Jack excitedly before adding, "We should have kids one day!"

"We'll, er, talk," Jack promised nervously, clearly thinking that they shouldn't be talking about this at 15 and 16 (almost 17) years old respectively.

"Great!" Fowler cheered before asking Raf sheepishly, "Say, um, which way's the bathroom?"

"What?! NO!" Raf cried in protest as everyone turned to look at him in disbelief.

"If Mrs. Esquivel sees you!" Talida began protesting.

"Relax. I trained in covert ops," Fowler boasted.

"I don't care if you were trained by a ninja! My mum has eyes in the back of your head!" Raf protested.

"Er…which mum are you talking about? Biological or adoptive?" Miko asked sheepishly.

"Both," Raf answered as he allowed his mother to pull him into her lap.

* * *

"An intruder in the system?!" Megatron said in disbelief as he shoved Cylas out of the way after noticing the alert, "Soundwave! We have a breach!"

The systems were quick to locate the location of the hacker. Megatron noticed that the beacon quickly raced to the state of Nevada. Specifically, at its centre.

"Jasper, Nevada," Cylas observed, "It could only be Talida Prime and the Autobot's human allies."

"Ah, my dear niece," Megatron said with a smirk, "Then perhaps you should attend to the matter. But you must leave my dear niece alive and unharmed. Actually, if you see her, bring her to me. Remember. Alive and unharmed."

"Surely, one of your subordinates is more suitable," Cylas began to protest.

"NOW!" Megatron roared.

* * *

Smokescreen was getting tired of all the aimless driving. So when he saw the opportunity to raced ahead and stop Soundwave from stealing the interface code, he had to take it.

"CLEAR SHOT! I'M GOING IN!" Smokescreen announced as he raced ahead…only to narrowly avoid the particle beam being fired from the Damocles satellite, "Scratch that!"

* * *

For Cylas, it didn't take long for him to figure out who the hacker was. With the files he had about them, he knew that outside of Talida Prime, Rafael 'Raf' Esquivel was the team's best hacker. So it was safe to assume that he was the one hacking into the controls for the Damocles satellite.

"Goodnight, hacker," Cylas smirked as he aimed his weapon at them.

Unfortunately for the four inside Raf's bedroom, Jack was directly in the firing line. If Cylas was planning on firing multiple times, Jack would be the first to die.

Bulkhead was lucky to have arrived when he did. When he saw the weapon on Cylas' car roof prepare to fire, he felt anger coursing through his veins. No one was allowed to threaten his goddaughter and his other loved ones and expects to get away with it. So quickly, he crashed into Cylas and pushed him down the road.

"Good call on curbside duty, Ratch," Bulkhead complimented into the commlink, the smirk evident in his voice.

Bulkhead didn't stop driving down the road until he sent Cylas tumbling down into the sewage ditch. It just happened to be the same ditch where Raf first met Jack, Talida, Arcee and Bumblebee so many months ago. And had he stuck around, he would have met Bulkhead as well.

Both bots transformed as they went to land in the ditch. Instantly, they stood ready to fight. It didn't take long for Cylas to notice Bulkhead's injury.

"Been itching to see you again," Bulkhead said with a smirk, "Where you been, Breakdown?"

"Be patient. I'm about to send you there," Cylas promised, causing Bulkhead's optics to widen in horror at the revelation.

"You're not Breakdown!" Bulkhead cried.

"But you are Bulkhead. And this is the last time you will interfere with my operations," Cylas proclaimed, causing Bulkhead to realize who he was dealing with.

"Silas?!" Bulkhead gasped in disbelief.

"In the flesh…in a manner of speaking," Cylas answered with a smirked.

Immediately, Cylas and Bulkhead went to attack one another. While Bulkhead came on strong, it wasn't long until Cylas knocked him down. But through determination, Bulkhead was able to rise again and again. This was something that amazed and amused Cylas.

* * *

At the base, Ratchet was desperately trying to reach Bulkhead, earning no response.

"Bulkhead! Do you read?!" Ratchet cried.

* * *

Back at the command centre in Colorado, Soundwave was still downloading the interface code for Project Damocles. The download progress was 75% complete. As he monitored the download, he monitored the progress of the approaching Autobots. Whenever one of them came within even a few feet close to the building, he would attack them with the particle beam from the Damocles satellite.

That was what happened with Optimus when he came close. The particle beam went after him, causing him to retreat from the command centre.

"_Optimus! I fear that Bulkhead requires immediate backup!_"

* * *

"Where did they hide the substring?!" Raf asked in frustration.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere," Talida muttered.

At that moment, Fowler came back into the room. He had successfully convinced Raf and the others to allow him to use the bathroom, only after warning them of the disastrous consequences that would result if they didn't let him do so. Fortunately for him, he managed to do so without being caught by Mrs. Esquivel. He, however, left behind a problem.

"F.Y.I: you're low on T.P," Fowler announced sheepishly.

"Really?" Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf said in disbelief.

* * *

"Reaction time is slow. You're favoring your right side. Legs are weak," Cylas observed as he knocked Bulkhead to the ground once again.

"I'll show you weak!" Bulkhead snarled as he charged and went to attack once again, only to miss and be knocked down again.

"You should have stayed in bed, Autobot," Cylas tormented with a smirk as he approached the fallen Autobot, ready to deliver the fatal blow.

He never got the chance as Smokescreen seemingly appeared from nowhere and kicked Cylas in the chest, effectively knocking him back and keeping him away from Bulkhead. Rolling onto his back, Bulkhead looked up, admiration radiating in his optics at Smokescreen's valor.

"Assist. What the new guy's for," Smokescreen smirked as he helped Bulkhead to his feet.

"One new guy to another, this is your final day on the job," Cylas sneered as he transformed his servo into Breakdown's signature hammer and charged to attack.

As Cylas went to slam his hammer into them, Smokescreen and Bulkhead scattered, forcing Cylas to slam his hammer into the concrete.

* * *

"They're attempting to disable the satellite!" Megatron roared as he saw the same warning signs that Soundwave was seeing, "Cylas, how difficult is it to squash a human child?! …CYLAS!"

It was then and there that he realized just how unreliable Cylas actually is. Also, he realized that it was better to do the job himself rather than have someone else do the dirty work for him…in a way.

When he saw that Soundwave had successfully downloaded the codes, he knew what had to be done.

"We have the codes? _Then target the intruders and destroy them!_"

* * *

Occasionally, Bumblebee would look behind him to see where the particle beam that was chasing him was. When he looked back once, he was surprised to see the particle beam begin to disappear. While he found this suspicious, he saw an opportunity present itself to him. And he knew that Optimus was seeing the same thing.

"This is our opportunity!" Optimus cried, "Autobots, scorn the command centre!"

* * *

"We're almost there!" Raf announced as he and Talida continued working.

Then they heard the rapid alarms. In confusion, Raf and Talida examined the satellite. And when they did, they saw that trouble was coming. And they knew the phrase that would be used.

Bring the rain.

"Raf! Talida! Rock on! It's moving!" Miko cheered.

"That wasn't us," Talida shook her head, causing Jack, Miko and Fowler to gape in horror.

It didn't take them long for them to figure out what was going to happen.

* * *

In Colorado, Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee were quick to take the opportunity presented towards them. Opening fire on any Vehicon that was still alive and trying to stop them, they raced towards the command centre, hoping they would be able to stop Soundwave before it was too late.

Eventually, the raining blaster fire courtesy of the Autobots destroyed the three drones that were still standing and the latter were able to push onwards.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside Raf's bedroom at the Esquivel residence, Raf and Talida were able to figure out just where the satellite was heading. And even though they had their suspicions, they were horrified to realize that their suspicions had been confirmed.

"Erm, guys, that's Jasper," Jack observed.

"Ooh! I can see my host parent's house!" Miko cheered excitedly, earning weird looks from everyone else in the room.

"And I can see my house right in the target sites!" Raf cried in horror.

"Anytime, guys!" Fowler ushered.

"Full thruster burn!" Talida cried as she hurriedly typed in the commands.

Once Talida had hit enter, the commands she typed in began to take place. Despite the satellite still firing the particle beam at Jasper, Nevada, she was able to shift the target away from her son's house. The beam narrowly flew above the roof and just below the power lines. However, the same couldn't be said for the sign of KO Burgers, which is now missing the top left hand corner.

"Oh thank God," Talida sighed in relief as she lent back.

"YES!" Fowler cheered, "I now see where Raf gets his genius from!"

_KNOCK KNOCK!_

"RAFAEL JORGE GONZALES ESQUIVEL!"

"Uh oh," everyone cringed.

Quickly, they got into position and prepared a very brief cover story, not really desiring to get Raf in even more trouble and potentially harshening his current punishment. Raf was still in Talida's lap as they shared a random textbook. Fowler, Jack and Miko were quick to grab textbooks around Raf's room. Quickly, Jack pulled Miko to force her to sit between his legs.

They managed to perform this in record time as the door opened and Mrs. Esquivel walked in.

And she was angry.

"What is going on in here?!" Mrs. Esquivel demanded.

"Study group," Raf shrugged casually.

When Mrs. Esquivel left the group to their own devices, Miko noticed something about Talida. Her hair wasn't her natural colour of chestnut brown.

"Whoa!" Miko cried as she touched Talida's red locks, "How did you do that?!"

"Powers," Talida shrugged casually, "Mrs. Esquivel can't connect the dots."

"Believe it or not, that color actually looks good on you," Jack complimented.

"Thanks, bro," Talida said with a smile, "Hey, Ratchet! Mission accomplished!"

"_How did it go?_"

"Well, this gives a whole new meaning to something J.K. Rowling said," Talida began.

"_What's that?_"

"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain," Talida finished, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

* * *

When Bumblebee had taken down the remaining drone, he, Optimus and Arcee raced ahead. It was Arcee's turn to kick down the door and lead the charge into the central hub. However, when they arrived, they were too late. They looked at the hole in the roof Soundwave had made in his plan to escape capture.

So much for their attempts to stop them from receiving the code.

Through the advantages of putting aside their differences and teaming up, Bulkhead and Smokescreen had changed the tides and Cylas was the one that was being knocked down multiple times. Cylas went to stand up and attack again. However, there was something that stopped him.

And that something was Megatron.

"_Cylas, return to base immediately._"

Deciding to go out with a bang, Cylas fired a missile at Bulkhead and Smokescreen. Bulkhead and Smokescreen were quick to move out of the way. The missile exploded as soon as it made contact with the concrete ground.

However, to Cylas' horror, Bulkhead and Smokescreen weren't caught in the pillar of smoke and flames that were emitted from the missile as he thought they had. In fact, they were growling and baring their denta as they approached Cylas menacingly. Fortunately the Cylas, the GroundBridge open and he was able to retreat.

Looking up to the skies, they saw a shooting pillar of flame fly across the stars. For Bulkhead and Smokescreen, it didn't take long for them to realize that the pillar of flame was the Damocles satellite that Raf and Talida had successfully brought down.

Mostly, they were just glad to have one less thing to worry about.

"Looks like someone's big plan just burnt up in re-entry," Bulkhead smirked as he and Smokescreen hi-fived each other.

"And for the record, I studied every one of the Wrecker's battles," Smokescreen admitted.

"There's still hope for you yet, newbie," Bulkhead promised.

* * *

However, there was no happiness aboard the Nemesis. Not yet, anyways…

"Cylas, you have earned your place among the table," Megatron proclaimed.

"Lord Megatron, I am honored," Cylas gushed.

"Knock Out's dissection table!" Megatron corrected, causing Cylas to freeze in horror and fear.

"Breakdown would be tickled," Knock Out said with a smirk as he approached Cylas.

"No, Lord Megatron! Why?!" Cylas demanded as he stumbled backwards.

"Because Damocles was the best you had to offer and it is no more. The Human Factor did indeed tip the scales…in favor of my enemies," Megatron said as Soundwave brought up an old photo of Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf. **(AN: It's the photo Soundwave took of the kids all the way back in **_**Talida Prime: Rising Darkness**_**. More specifically, in the chapter **_**Darkness Rising: Part 5**_**.)**

Cylas gasped in pain as he felt the electricity course through him, effectively causing him to fall to the ground and paralyzing him. Standing behind him was a smirking Knock Out, who was holding a cackling prod in his hands.

"He will be a fascinating case for study," Megatron proclaimed as he, Knock Out and Soundwave approached him.

"I will leave no fiber or fiber optic unexamined," Knock Out vowed, tapping Cylas' unprotected optic to prove his point.

"No! Megatron! I'm here to serve you! No! No! No! NO!" Cylas roared as he was dragged to Knock Out's laboratory.

Megatron just stood there with a smirk on his face. He should have known better than to offer his best straight up.

Oh well. It was one more enemy he didn't have to worry about.

"_Oh… When they come for me…  
__Come for me…  
__I'll be gone…_

_Oh… When they come for me…  
__Come for me…  
__I'll be gone…_

_Oh… When they come for me…  
__Come for me…  
__I'll be gone…_

_And all the people say…  
__Try to catch up, motherfucker!_

_And all the people say…  
__Try to catch up, motherfucker!_

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!  
_Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!  
__Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!_"

* * *

**Alright, guys. Once again, there's gonna be no promo for the next episode. That's gonna be in next chapter after Talida and Smokescreen's bonding. And the song that's gonna be in the next chapter is…**

**TORN BY NATALIE IMBRUGLIA!**

**First song choice that came to mind. And from what I've heard, it sounds amazing on piano.**

**Also…episodes after next chapter….excluding the extra chapters, naturally.**

**1. Legacy  
****2. Alpha/Omega  
****3. Hard Knocks  
****4. Inside Job  
****5. Patch  
****6. Regeneration  
****7. Darkest Hour**

**OK. You guys know what to do if you want another chapter. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	18. Torn

**This chapter is going to be extremely touching… Well, as touching as I can make it.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**devildog452:** _**So when does Malita appear again?**_

***makes buzzer sound***** You asked. Her return's delayed. I told everyone that the more everyone asks, the longer I delay her return.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**Great chapter as usual! Can't wait for the next!**_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**…The only reason liked Knockout in that episode was because he only mentioned that fragging paintjob of his once. SERIOUSLY DUDE, THE PAINTJOB DOESN'T MATTER!**_

**Personally, I find it amusing. :P**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**MECH finally got what was coming to them! Now we don't have to worry about them anymore! **__***cheers**__*** Thank goodness! Sorry you had to write it. Please update!**_

**Mostly, I'm just glad that's over.**

**F.F.V: **_**Hey you said you were planning something with the Alpha/ Omega episode. My guess on Talida being seemingly killed by "King Con", as Miko called him, was related to that. What, I'm not aloud to guess?**_

**You could've gotten an account and PM'd me your guess so you didn't risk spoiling the story if you were right! So basically, you could've guessed. Just not in public.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Silas has a knack for naming his projects after Greek Mythology. Now that Raf and Talida had some nice family moments(sorta), when can there be some Talida and Bumblebee moments, ***__**Cough**__*** Wedding. ***__**Cough**__*****_

**Patience is a virtue.**

**The Mandarin: **_**Oh My Primus, When Jack became Nervous after Miko suggested them having a child, It took every single nano ounce of my strength to not roll around the floor in uncontrollable laughter. Ya gotta love new fathers reactions, whoevers gonna be pregnant can the father have a reaction that's hilarious, or at least to the readers.**_

**I'll try. But I hold no promises. It'll depend on whether or not I go with someone who's already had a child.**

**Autobot StarRacer: **_**Awesome update!  
**__**Oh and here's something you might find interesting:  
**__**Damocles is a character from Greek mythology. He was a king who had a sword dangling by a small thread over his throne to remind him how easily someone could kill him. It took me a while to make the connection haha  
**__**Update soon!**_

**Thanks for the info. But honestly, whenever someone mentions ancient history, it's hard to stay awake. That's why I go with Modern History.**

**Awesomo3000: (1) **_**Awesome chapter, mon ami! Go, Smokescreen! **__***shudders**__*** The next chapter is so creepy, gave me nightmares.**_

**How do you think I felt when I wrote it?!**

**(2) **_*****__**shudders**__*** The ending for this episode creeped me out. By, a LOT. Anyhoo, please update when you can! :D**_

**Thanks!**

**tfp-fan: (1) **_**Smokescreen be awesome, man! XD Anyway, awesome chapter!  
**_

**Thanks!**

**(2) **_**This episode gave me nightmares the night after I saw it. O.O Always hated it for that. But great job! **_

**I know how you feel.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Poor Silas! NOT! One question; you said something about Talida and Smokescreen bonding. Did you mean Bumblebee?**_

**Nope. I meant Smokey.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Torn**_** rightfully belongs to Natalie Imbruglia and RCA records.**

**OK. I know Natalie Imbruglia actually did a cover version of Torn. But…hey. It's a cool cover.**

**WARNING! WARNING! SMOKESCREEN MAY BE OOC! WARNING! WARNING! SMOKESCREEN MAY BE OOC! WARNING! WARNING!**

**I think that's enough warnings. But they are true. Smokescreen may be OOC in this chapter. Just so you know.**

**OK. Now I can officially say…**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Even though it's been months since their voyage to Cybertron, Talida still had the nightmares. Every night, it would feature something different. But something still went wrong. It would range from never being able to go to Cybertron and everyone just giving up to getting on Cybertron and never reaching Vector Sigma to the Matrix never downloading to…well, what could've gone wrong in that voyage.

This nightmare was harsh enough to cause Talida to bolt upright screaming. Her breathing was irregular and her hair and entire body was soaked in cold sweat. To her surprise, she wasn't alone. There was a hand cradling her body and blue optics glancing at her worriedly. But it wasn't Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead or even Ratchet.

It was Smokescreen.

"What are you doing here?" Talida panted.

"Couldn't sleep when I heard you screaming. You may wanna consider changing the code to your room," Smokescreen suggested as he rubbed comforting circles on her back.

"I've been meaning to. I just couldn't be bothered," Talida admitted sheepishly.

"You wanna talk about it?" Smokescreen asked.

"It isn't much," Talida objected, "It's just about…"

"Your voyage to Cybertron?" Smokescreen guessed, causing Talida to freeze, "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"It's a long story," Talida warned.

"I've got nothing time," Smokescreen reassured her.

Some people would consider this strange. But for Talida, it wasn't strange. Although, it should be. Smokescreen has only been an official member of Team Prime for just over a week. And yet, she feels like she could trust him with anything. Even her deepest, darkest secrets. With Wheeljack, it took her a month for her to be able to do that. Granted, he's spent the past several months travelling. But they always kept in contact…in secret, of course.

"Maybe I should start at the very beginning," Talida decided before sighing, "A month before the voyage to Cybertron, planet Earth was in danger. There was this prophecy that was written in the Covenant of Primus."

"When the 47 spheres align, a perpetual conflict will culminate upon a world forged from chaos. And the weak shall perish in the shadow of a rising darkness," Smokescreen recited, causing Talida to glance at him in confusion, "Alpha Trion told me about that prophecy. I always thought it was talking about Cybertron."

"So did I, actually. But given how long Cybertron's been dark, we knew it was Earth because that's where the endpoint was for the planetary alignment. Megatron knew of the prophecy and at first, he became desperate to finish the construction of his Space Bridge. Then…he infected Raf with Dark Energon. God. It hurt seeing him so vulnerable. Eventually, we managed to save him. Then we realized that Dad had gone to face Megatron alone. That was when we figured out what was happening. Unicron was our planet's core," Talida recalled, causing Smokescreen to gape, "I know. It sounds crazy. But it's true. That's when everything started happening. The Dark Energon erupting from the volcano. Seven earthquakes occurring at the same time. It told us that Unicron was emerging from stasis and his morning stretch was going to destroy the planet. Dad and I went to investigate the sightings of the earthquakes. There…we fought Unicron."

"Seriously?!" Smokescreen gasped.

"Well, a few embodiments. We were all almost killed. But…Megatron saved us along with his daughter, Malita. We knew that they had a catch. We just weren't expecting them to turn around and help us stop Unicron from destroying the earth. Even Megatron said so himself. The only reason he wanted to save the Earth was so when the time came, he would destroy or conquer it himself. But…we agreed. We knew what we had to do.

After we bridged Megatron and Malita to our base, we made the preparations. Dad gave Jack the Key to Vector Sigma. Then…we were on our way to the planet's core. Trust me when I say that battling his antibodies were NOT fun," Talida cringed, causing Smokescreen to laugh slightly, "When we reached the core, Megatron, Malita, dad and I went in. Trust me when I say that it was a hell of a fight. Unicron had gained control of Megatron and Malita and tried to force them to kill us. But they had strong wills. Together, Dad and I were able to defeat Unicron. We couldn't kill him because the planet would die if we did. But we were able to force him back into stasis. Dad used the Matrix of Leadership and I used some of Princess Rayna's powers.

All four of us were knocked out. When I came to, I saw Malita prepare to kill me. Then I heard four words. Dad woke up and said, 'Where are we, Megatronus?' When he sacrificed the Matrix of Leadership, not only did he lose the Wisdom of the Primes. But he lost his memories. He reverted back to the Hall of Records archivist Orion Pax. He vaguely remembered Ratchet. But me, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee, there wasn't even the slightest glimmer of recollection in his optics."

"What happened after that?" Smokescreen asked gently, "After Optimus reverted to Orion Pax?"

"Megatron took advantage of his amnesia. Forced him to join the Decepticons as their archivist. It took us a month to figure out how we were going to get him back.

It was when we remembered that Dad had given Jack the key card. We realized that we had to go to Cybertron to get him back. Arcee knew the way. I knew how to get in. Jack knew how to download the Matrix. It took a few days. But we were able to locate the Decepticon Space Bridge courtesy of Starscream. Arcee – who was pregnant with Cayden, mind you – Jack and I went to Cybertron.

It turned out that Vector Sigma was underneath Megatron's feet the entire time. Then…we ran into trouble. Trouble involving Insecticons, hence the 'I hate these things'. At Arcee's insistence, Jack went inside and I had to follow him in case the Insecticon went after him. It was how I got my sword from Alpha Trion. Anyway, I went in, saw the Insecticon fighting Jack and I went to protect him immediately. We defeated him using Scraplets. When the Matrix was fully downloaded, we went to go home. But we couldn't.

Three Insecticons were following us. When we reached the Space Bridge, I forced us to stop. I reminded everyone that if we went through the portal, the Insecticons would follow and the world wouldn't be able to survive an Insecticon raid. That was when I decided that we had to shut own the Space Bridge. Nobody liked it. But they knew that if I thought of another idea, I would've forgotten about it. So…Ratchet shut down the Space Bridge," Talida recalled, hearing Starscream gasp.

"So you, Jack and Arcee were stranded on Cybertron?!" Smokescreen gasped.

"Yeah. The Insecticons were doing a good number on us. That was when Alpha Trion appeared, saying that he wanted to help us. He took us to the monorail system, saying that he had somewhere to take us. We spent the night on the train. Then we woke up and…well, let me put it this way: trains hate us. We were running out of track. So we had to think fast or we would be blown to bits. Just as the train was about to go over, we jumped and managed to land in Iacon.

The first place that Alpha Trion took us was to the Hall of Records. In fact, he took us to Dad's workstation, which was somehow still standing after the war. Alpha forced me to build this communicator, which I used to contact Earth. Yeah. I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I ask for a Space Bridge then and there? Well…I couldn't.

Megatron caught wise to what was going on and captured Dad, Ratchet, Bulkhead and Bumblebee. He sent a missile to Cybertron. One that would've killed us. It did kill me. According to Jack, I was dead for nearly five minutes. While I was dead, I saw Rayna. She gave me a second Matrix, one that embodied Primus. She told me to head to the planet's core where our answer to returning home would be. So we did.

When we got there, Alpha left us, saying that the rest of the journey was something we had to complete on our own. We got there, we were surprised, to say the least. We saw Rayna's ghost fighting Nadia's ghost. Eventually, I got pissed so I saved Rayna the trouble and defeated Nadia for her. Er…you know that circle under were Primus used to be?" Talida asked, earning a nod from Smokescreen, "Well, we had to go there. Rayna conjured a portal and we jumped. We woke up here.

Despite a lot of fight from the others, we went to the mine to rescue everyone. While I went to battle Megatron, Arcee and Jack went to rescue the others. That was when Jack reloaded the Matrix into Dad. I was getting a number done on me when Dad saved me. You know, the 'Don't mess with my little girl' stuff? Airachnid decided to appear and…well, she shot Arcee, Jack and I."

"Oh my God!" Smokescreen gasped.

"We were taken back to base where we finally had our wounds tended to. Arcee had to have an emergency C-section to save Cayden. But other than that, Cayden was fine. Arcee had some dents and bruises and wore out her engines. Basically, she didn't have it as bad as Jack and I did.

Jack had a cut over his kidney that required at least seven stitches. He also broke his right wrist. And trust me. Having an itchy cast on his wrist for six weeks wasn't fun. And I know because I had to have one as well. I also had some internal bleeding, broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Basically, it was a month and a half before I saw the outside of the base. But it didn't mean I didn't sneak out.

So…yeah. That's what happened," Talida finished with a sigh.

"You've been having nightmares about it," Smokescreen surmised, "You've been having nightmares about what could've gone wrong."

"I thought that after a few months, they'd stop by now. I mean Arcee doesn't have them anymore. Jack's have ceased. But mine are still as vivid as they first started. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of them," Talida trembled slightly.

"I know how you feel. When my parents died, I had nightmares for months. They got so bad that it got to the point that I would just flat out refuse to recharge. I later grew to regret that decision after I collapsed during training. I was in a coma for three days. Afterwards, I was forced to explain everything to a psychologist. Not fun. But afterwards, I felt better. I could sleep without having nightmares," Smokescreen confessed.

"What? You're telling me I need to talk to a therapist about my nightmares?" Talida surmised with a laugh, knowing full well that the chances of that happening were dangerously slim.

"I'm just saying that you should talk to someone in general," Smokescreen corrected, "If not your dad, then someone else you can trust. Heck. If you wanted me to, I could become your confidante."

"You would do that?" Talida stuttered.

"Well, you and I have become good friends. So…why not?" Smokescreen shrugged.

"Thanks," Talida smiled as she hugged him.

"There's something you gotta do for me first," Smokescreen began, causing Talida to look at him questionably with the slightest hint of nervousness, "I've heard from Bulkhead that you have an amazing voice. And…well, I'd like to hear for myself."

"Seriously. You want me to sing at 3 in the morning?" Talida said in disbelief.

When Smokescreen wouldn't let up, she sighed and started singing a song that had been stuck in her head for some time. The minute she started singing, he was enchanted.

Talida: _I thought I saw a man brought to life.  
__He was warm. He came around and he was dignified.  
__He showed me what it was to cry…_

_Well, you couldn't be that man I adored.  
__You don't seem to know.  
__Seem to care what your heart is for.  
__But I don't know him anymore…_

_There's nothing where he used to lie!  
__The conversation has run dry!  
__That's what's going on!  
__Nothing's fine! I'm torn!_

_I'm all out of faith.  
__This is how I feel.  
__I'm cold and I am shamed,  
__Lying naked on the floor…_

_Illusion never changed,  
__Into something real.  
__I'm wide-awake! And I can see,  
__The perfect sky is torn!_

_You're a little late.  
__I'm already torn…_

"Wow. You have an amazing voice," Smokescreen complimented.

"Thanks," Talida muttered as she warned.

"You should get some sleep," Smokescreen suggested as he forced Talida to lay back down and covered her with the sheets.

"You wanna stay the night?" Talida offered tiredly.

"I would be honored," Smokescreen nodded with a smile.

When Optimus walked in to check on her the next day, he saw Smokescreen asleep on the metal berth with his hand covering Talida's body like a blanket. Needless to say…

Smokey got an earful!

* * *

**Anyone wanna guess why Smokey got an earful?**

**Legacy's the next chapter. And as I promised, the promo is on its way.**

**One word: WHOA!**

* * *

_Ratchet: It seems the Decepticons have already excavated the next relic._

_Talida: Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. Round three of the relic hunt has begun._

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Megatron: It is time to test our decoy._

_Smokescreen: Let's go grab a relic!  
_

_**Show Arcee sliding across the ground opening fire**_

_**Show an Insecticon roaring**_

_**Show the Autobots charging**_

_**Show Megatron watching the battle**_

_**Show Smokescreen preparing to fire**_

_**Show Megatron taking off**_

_**Show Autobot and Decepticon attacks**_

_**Show an Insecticon closing in on Jack and Talida**_

_Ratchet: We have a situation!  
_

_**Show Optimus racing through the GroundBridge**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

_Talida: This will not be good…_

* * *

**Excluding Legacy and the extra chapters, he's the chapters that are left…**

**1. Alpha/Omega  
****2. Hard Knocks  
****3. Inside Job  
****4. Patch  
****5. Regeneration  
****6. Darkest Hour**

**Let me just say that the next few chapters are going to be intense. Considering what happens and what I'm gonna throw in, it'll be wow.**

**Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. You guys should know the drill by now considering how long we've all been together.**

**BYE!**


	19. Legacy

**This chapter marks the beginning of the end…**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Awesomo3000: (1) **_**Awww, nice chapter, it's nice to see Smoky and Talida bonding. **__** The next episode's gonna be EPIC!**_

**You got that right!**

**(as guest) **_**Lancepm, I think you mean BRIDGE of Light by P!nk, not Bright. But I agree, it is a good song. **_

**It's on my iPod.**

**tfp-fan: **_**D'aww, great chapter! :D But for God's sake, people, STOP ASKING ABOUT MALITA! Look, I wanna see her return too, but I'm not constantly bugging the author about it! The more you ask, the more she'll delay Malita's return! Just be patient and STOP ASKING!  
**_

**THANK YOU!**

**lancepm: (1) **_**the rest of them are heatwave, chase, boulder and blades from transformers rescuebots. Unless you're talking about scattershot, hotshot and red alert from transformers Cybertron**_

**I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. I know you're talking Transformers. But I honestly don't understand what you're saying.**

**(2) **_**I can total image Talida singing bright of light**_

**Don't you mean Bridge of Light?**

**(3) **_**I just realized something alpha trion can use the sword of primus to teleport himself to earth if he used the transender another iacon relic**_

**Wha?**

**(4) **_**when the autobots go back to Cybertron they find grimlock**_

**Dude, seriously. Limit your reviews.**

**(5) **_**keep the coming.**_

**You bet I will.**

**To Lazy To Login: **_**Awesome chapter! :D**_

**Thanks!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**I do, why did Smokescreen get an earful? And what exactly did Optimus Prime say to him?  
**_

**Just think about how Optimus found Smokescreen and Talida when everyone woke up the following morning.**

**Sephiroth 200: (1) **_**probably got an earful cause he thought ol smokey was getting a little to close to his daughter. And I can't wait for legacy. Of all the episodes that one is my favorite. And for anyone who reads this if anyone else asks about the return of you know who again I will find you!**_

**(from chapter 17) **_**no threat intended.**_

**DING! DING! DING! We have a winner! And…THANK YOU!  
**

**haloangel21: (from chapter 16) **_**Sad ending. So sorry I didn't review in time. My dad's using the computer until he gets the part for his laptop. It's quite frustrating. Until then, I can only read and review on the school computer. Sorry! D:**_

**Hey, it's fine. You can't help it. At least you can get at your school. At mine, the website's blocked! Same with devaintART!**

**(from the previous chapter) **_**Naw. So cute.**_

**Thanks!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Aww! Smokey got "the talk" given to him by Optimus! And oh crap next couple episodes will be good! **__***smirks**__*****_

**You got that right!**

**storygirl99210: **_**I'm so sorry I haven't reviewed in a long time. I've been so busy with my own stories! Please forgive me! This chapter is awesome!  
**_

**Thanks! And it's fine.**

**OK. Now I'm gonna stop listening to a 'I Miss the Old One Direction' audio file I found on tumblr before I get too depressed and become a blubbering mess again!**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**You Found Me**_** rightfully belongs to Kelly Clarkson and RCA Records.**

**What can I say? It's an oldie but a goodie.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Is this a dream?  
__If it is,  
__Please don't wake me from this high._

_I've become comfortably numb.  
__Until you opened my eyes,_

_To what it's like,  
__When everything's right.  
__I can't believe…_

_You found me,  
__When no one else was lookin'.  
__How did you know just where I would be?_

_Yeah, you broke though,  
__All of my confusion.  
__The ups and the downs.  
__And you still didn't leave.  
__I guess that you saw what nobody could see…  
__You found me…_

_You found me…_"

"Energon signal's getting stronger. Five klicks, due north," Smokescreen reported as he raced through the desert of Jasper Nevada.

"**Slow down, Smokescreen. We have a speed limit,**" Bumblebee warned as he drove behind Smokescreen.

"What do you mean speed limit?! I have a gauge in here that goes to 150! If the humans who designed my vehicle form here didn't want it to go that fast, they shouldn't have given me the option!"

Just when Smokescreen couldn't go any faster, he did. The gauge read that his speed was dangerously close to 150. However, Smokescreen was quick to learn why humans keep on pushing for speed limits to be acknowledged on the road. This was shown by he and the minivan having to swerve as they almost collided. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse, it did. The driver climbed out of the car. Normally, that would be fine…

If he didn't have a crowbar.

"HEY! INDI 500! WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU, YOU'RE GONNA NEED MORE THAN A PIT CREW TO PUT YOU BACK TOGETHER!" the man snarled as he approached the sports car dangerously.

The driver immediately stopped when he saw something that was impossible. And that was Smokescreen transforming into his bipedal form to glare at him. The driver, who was once dangerously angry, was close to climbing into his car and driving home in the urge to change into a fresh pair of underwear and a clean set of pants.

"Bring it!" Smokescreen challenged.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME  
**_

"_So, here we are.  
__That's pretty far,  
__When you think of where we've been._

_No going back.  
__I'm fading out.  
__All that has faded me within._

_You're by my side.  
__Now everything's fine.  
__I can't believe…_

_You found me,  
__When no one else was lookin'.  
__How did you know just where I would be?_

_Yeah, you broke through,  
__All of my confusion.  
__The ups and the downs.  
__And you still didn't leave.  
__I guess that you saw what nobody could see…  
__You found me…_

_You found me…_"

"Who's the tough guy now, huh?!" Smokescreen challenged.

Hearing a series of honks, Smokescreen turned around and saw Bumblebee approaching. Before he could even blink, the young scout had transformed and pushed him away from the human before turning to face said human and bleep his apologies.

"Relax, Bumblebee. I'm just messing around!" Smokescreen cackled as he slung his arm around Bumblebee's shoulders.

Then trouble struck. And that trouble was the driver taking a photo with his cell phone and posting the photo all over the Internet.

* * *

Needless to say, no one was happy about it.

"Found it!" Talida called as she got the photo up on her laptop.

"Ol' Road Rage didn't waste any time posting your mug shots," Jack remarked.

"I'll have Raf scrub this when he gets back from house hunting. Besides, it's his turn," Talida pointed out.

"Is this what you learned while you served Alpha Trion?!" Ratchet asked in disbelief, "I highly doubt that he would have condoned such irresponsible behavior!"

"Blowing your cover is not OK!" Arcee reprimanded.

"Sorry, guys. I know I really messed up," Smokescreen apologized.

"While Ratchet and Arcee are correct," Optimus began as he walked into the room, "I believe that we are all equally responsible for this incident."

"Us?!" Arcee repeated in disbelief.

"How?!" Ratchet demanded.

"We weren't even there!" Bulkhead reminded their leader before adding, "Well…Bee was."

That earned the former Wrecker a punch in the stomach from the young scout.

"Our recent events have been so increasingly focused on preventing crises that we have overlooked simple matters," Optimus clarified.

"He's got a point," Talida agreed, "We've been so focused on stopping Megatron from making a grab and snatch with the Iacon relics that we forgot about the small matters that are just as important."

"This includes teaching Smokescreen how to best function on this planet. It is an oversight that must be corrected," Optimus proclaimed.

"Optimus, I'm honored to train under you and will do whatever it takes to make things right. To make you proud," Smokescreen swore.

"Perhaps the best way for you to learn about the human world is from a human," Optimus mused.

"Smokescreen gets his own partner?" Arcee guessed.

"Please say that's not true," Talida pleaded, "Protecting Jack, Miko and Raf are enough."

"Besides, isn't having three humans here enough?!" Ratchet added.

"I was referring to one already among us," Optimus corrected as he glanced at Jack.

"Why can't Tally do it?" Bulkhead asked, "Considering how close she and Smokescreen are."

"Because she is busy helping me decode the Iacon database," Optimus answered, although his optics displayed the need to spend quality time with his daughter…and because of the way he found them in her room that morning (not that he was willing to admit it in front of the other Autobots, especially Bumblebee).

"Err, sure, Optimus. Robots in disguise, traffic laws, don't beat down humans; I can bring Smokescreen up to speed," Jack promised as he began climbing down the ladder to meet up with Smokescreen.

"We've all put in curbside duty. Especially when Tally was younger and she and Jack had those sleepovers. It's part of the gig," Bulkhead told Smokescreen.

"Then let's go for a drive, teach," Smokescreen suggested with a smirk as he transformed into his vehicular mode and allowed Jack to climb in.

"Optimus, with all due respect, Agent Fowler is out relocating Raf's family due to 'Cons discovering where he lives. Meanwhile Smokescreen, in all his wisdom, chooses a vehicle mode with screaming Double 38s on the door, making him an easy target," Arcee began.

"Hey! I picked that vehicle form!" Talida cried in offence, "It suited him!"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more than concerned about Jack's safety," Arcee finished.

"Nonetheless, the fact remains that our new recruit is in need of instruction. I believe that Smokescreen's spark is in the right place and that he now understands the necessity of protecting humanity," Optimus reassured her as he placed a comforting hand on his spark mate's shoulder, "Jackson is well protected, Arcee. You just have to trust Smokescreen to continue that protection."

Arcee sighed before asking, "My maternal instincts are acting up again, aren't they?"

"Screaming," Talida answered.

* * *

"OK. Intersection. Let's review. Light's green…," Jack trailed off, hoping that Smokescreen was paying attention to his lessons.

"Green for go," Smokescreen recalled.

"And yellow?" Jack inquired.

"GO FASTER!" Smokescreen answered as he pressed the pedal to the metal.

"Smokescreen!" Jack cried as they began going faster.

To Jack's relief, as soon as the traffic light turned red, Smokescreen hit the break. His nose came to a stop over the white solid line. Smokescreen was laughing. Jack, on the other hand, was having a hard time calming his rapid heart rate and slow his equally rapid breathing.

"Just messing around!" Smokescreen cackled.

"Ha ha," Jack laughed sarcastically before looking at the rear vision mirror and seeing the familiar 'muscle car' approaching the traffic lights next to him, "Uh oh."

As the driver – who turned out to be Vince – came to a stop next to him, Jack tried to hide himself by crouching low into his seat and rolling up the tinted windows. Smokescreen took note of Jack's actions and misunderstood the reasons behind it.

"Who is it? 'Cons?!" Smokescreen immediately asked worriedly.

"Just someone from school I'd rather not talk to," Jack answered, "Lida and I have been having trouble with him."

Unfortunately for Jack, his attempts to hide from Vince's eyes didn't work. The school 'sleeze bag' (as everyone referred to him) didn't fail to notice who was in the sports car next to him. With a smirk, he reached into the brown paper bag and took out the burger he had gotten from KO Burgers just before.

"Drive!" Jack hissed.

"Red light, teach. No can do," Smokescreen shrugged casually.

That is, until Vince threw the burger at the driver side window and drove away.

"Seriously?!" Smokescreen said in disbelief.

"Just let it go," Jack muttered as he grabbed the wheel and Smokescreen drove ahead as soon as the light turned green.

"Are you kidding me?! Where's your self-respect?! We've gotta stand up for ourselves!" Smokescreen proclaimed.

"We've also got to follow Optimus' rule. It's not just about protecting humans. You can't harm them either," Jack told him, "And since I'm his daughter's half-brother, I'm more expected to obey them than Miko and Raf are. And Raf's his grandson."

"Who said anything about harming?" Smokescreen retorted, the smirk evident in his voice.

* * *

Talida glanced up from her books when she heard the familiar sounds of Smokescreen's engines approaching the command centre, indicating that their lesson was over. To her confusion, Jack and Smokescreen were having a hard time containing their laughter. It made her wonder what had happened during their lesson.

"I am so posting this tonight!" Jack decreed as he glanced at his phone.

"OK. I'll bite. What happened?" Talida asked as she raced down to join them, her physics homework forgotten.

"Arcee! Lida! Check out what we did to Vince's car!" Jack cackled as he held up his phone.

"The bully?" Arcee guessed.

"Come on, Jack. There is no way that-!" Talida's protest was cut off by her never-ending laughter, "YOU BETTER POST THAT TONIGHT! OR I WILL NAG YOU UNTIL YOU DO!"

Arcee finally bent down and saw the photo that had Jack, Talida and Smokescreen suffocating in laughter. She saw Vince's 'muscle car' in the shot. After racing it, she was able to recognize the pathetic excuse of a car anywhere. However, she did also recognize that the car was given a small 'makeover'. And by makeover, she meant that Jack and Smokescreen had flung multiple burgers at it.

"Hey, Vince! Did you want fries with that?!" Jack smirked, causing himself, Talida and Smokescreen to suffer another laughing fit.

"Let me get this straight. So you taught Smokescreen everything he never needed to know about fast food?" Arcee surmised.

"He passed Driver's Ed!" Jack defended himself.

"You work hard, play hard," Talida shrugged casually.

"Yeah. No humans were harmed in the making of those photos. Honest!" Smokescreen promised as he walked away.

"Come on, Arcee. The guy's been harassing the four of us since we started school! Why not get a little payback?!" Talida asked rhetorically.

"Because we don't stoop to their level. Like we agreed after we put Airachnid in that stasis pod," Arcee retorted, causing Talida to stop laughing.

* * *

If the Autobots didn't have enough on their plates already, the Decepticons were going to give them another serving of trouble. Megatron watched as Soundwave's visor displayed a map with a beacon pinpointing a specific set of coordinates. It didn't take the Decepticon lord long to figure out what Soundwave was telling him.

He found another Iacon relic.

"You have decoded the next Iacon coordinates? Excellent, Soundwave," Megatron complimented as he held up a container that resembled the containers that contained the Iacon relics, "Then it is time to beta test our decoy!"

* * *

"We are nearly finished decoding the next set of Iacon coordinates," Optimus proclaimed as he and Talida worked fast on decoding the coordinates in the Iacon database.

"You two may not need to complete your task," Ratchet decreed gravely as they saw the alert they were just receiving.

"That's an Iacon locator beacon," Talida observed as the coordinates appeared on the screen, "And we all know what that means."

"It seems the Decepticons have already excavated the next relic," Ratchet announced.

"Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! Round three of the relic hunt has begun," Talida decreed.

"Ratchet, triangulate coordinates and activate the GroundBridge," Optimus immediately instructed.

"Bring on the 'Cons!" Bulkhead challenged as he pounded his fists together.

"I'll stay here and continue decoding the coordinates. See if I can't get another one going," Talida decided as she grabbed her laptop.

"Are you sure you are up to the task, sweetspark?" Optimus inquired.

"Relax, dad. You taught me everything I know," Talida reminded him.

"I may have taught you everything _you _know. But I am far from teaching you everything _I _know," Optimus corrected with a slight smirk before asking, "Where is Smokescreen?"

"Out training again with Jack," Arcee answered.

"We cannot wait," Optimus decided, "Autobots, transform and roll out!"

With those words said, Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee transformed into their vehicle modes and raced through the GroundBridge. There wasn't time to waste. Talida went to work to continue decoding the Iacon database while Ratchet resumed his work doing…whatever it was he was doing before.

* * *

At the coordinates Soundwave decrypted, the Decepticons were quick to begin their work to unearth the latest Iacon relic. They didn't know what was hidden behind the rock structure they were drilling through. But considering that it was one of the many Autobot acquisitions that were shuttled out of Cybertron before the final raid of Iacon that preceded the exodus, they knew that this relic held significant importance.

As the Vehicons utilized the drills to drill their way through the rocky structure, Insecticons were employing their strength to lift the blocks away. Rather than have another subordinate the coordinate the excavation on his behalf, Megatron decided to come down and coordinate the excavation himself after reflecting on the 'string of failures' the other Decepticons – excluding Soundwave – have had with the retrieval of the relics as of late.

"Lord Megatron!" one Vehicon called after he pushed a particularly large boulder away.

"I certainly hope our latest acquisition is of Decepticon origin," Megatron prayed as he approached the excavation site, only to freeze and gape in horror, "It cannot be!"

When the Vehicon finished removing the boulder from his path, he saw his fears being confirmed before his very red optics. He saw a sword hilt peaking from the rock. He recognized the sword design anywhere. He had heard legends about it. In fact, he is still to meet a Cybertronian who hasn't heard of this sword.

"Power of this magnitude must never be allowed to fall into the hands of Optimus Prime! No matter what!" Megatron proclaimed.

He was determined to keep the sword out of Optimus' reach. No matter what it took. So he was quick to try and remove the sword from its rocky resting place. He grabbed the hilt of the sword and began pulling. However, the sword wouldn't budge. It didn't even move the slightest millimeter at Megatron's consistent pulling. The pulling continued until he was forced to stumble backwards.

Unwilling to give up, Megatron began shooting at the rock with his blasters. Clouds of dust and sediment from the rocks circled the air around them due to Megatron's firepower. When the clouds cleared, however, there was no damage. The sword was still burrowed in the rock..

Then Megatron remembered a human legend that he had vaguely heard about. One legend of many about a long-deceased king with a very powerful sword. The powerful sword was thrust into some kind of stone and it would remain there until the rightful king came and pulled it out. Many tried. Many failed. That is, until a young boy stepped forward to try. To everyone's surprise, he succeeded. He had managed to pull the sword from the stone, showing his people that the rightful king had come.

The young boy's name was Arthur and the sword was called Excalibur.

Megatron knew that there were other legends about King Arthur and Excalibur. One legend included the sword being given to him by a mythical woman named the Lady of the Lake. However, he had heard more stories about the sword in the stone. And he knew that the particular legend he remembered applied to the situation.

The sword that was so special, that held great significance, could only be removed by a Prime.

"The rock is impermeable!" Megatron gasped in horror at the startling revelation, "The relic is emanating a protective shield! It will only respond to the power of a Prime, Princess Rayna and the proximity of her Energy Sword! We will remove it if we have to take the entire mountain!"

* * *

"Ratchet!" Talida called, causing Ratchet to come running from Cayden's nursery.

"What is it?" Ratchet inquired worriedly.

"I just finished decoding the set of coordinates Dad and I were working on. Then I find that the 'Cons are already there!" Talida reported.

"We have to contact your father," Ratchet proclaimed before hitting the button that opened the commlink, "Optimus, Talida and I have picked up a second Iacon locator beacon!"

Talida froze at the sound that came back as response to Ratchet's calls. Static. Having been involved in the war since her birth, she learned at a young age that earning static as a response to your calls meant that either something bad has happened or the Autobots were outside communications range. From experience, the first-case scenario – the something bad had happened scenario – was most frequent.

"Optimus?" Ratchet tried again.

"Dad!" Talida called before asking Ratchet, "What is going on over there?"

"I have no idea," Ratchet answered honestly.

* * *

Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were exploring the coordinates they were dispatched to. Their scanners were leading them to the Iacon locator beacon. Or so they thought. They had no idea that they were being led around in circles by a decoy the Decepticons had left for them.

"No sign of 'Cons," Bulkhead observed.

What they didn't know was that Soundwave was flying around above them with the decoy attached to his undercarriage.

* * *

When Talida heard Jack and Smokescreen return from their lesson laughing for the second time this week, she knew that something had to be up.

"Oh, dude! My boss is gonna freak!" Jack cackled as he struggled to breathe.

"That thing we stuffed in his tailpipe! What's it called again?" Smokescreen inquired.

"Pizza!" Jack spluttered before they started laughing again.

"Guys, I love you. But right now, shut up!" Talida snapped.

Jack and Smokescreen immediately stopped laughing after Talida's sentence. They heard the worry in her voice; saw it in her face and the way she stood. Instantly, they knew that something was wrong.

"Arcee! Bulkhead! Can anyone read me?!" Ratchet asked into the commlink, earning static as his response each time.

"Ratchet, what's going on?!" Jack demanded as he and Smokescreen approached the computer.

"I found another Iacon locator beacon and we can't get any of the others to pick up," Talida clarified, "And to make things worse, Dad left the communicator he built during our time on Cybertron here since we didn't think it was outside communications range."

"I'll go," Smokescreen immediately volunteered.

"Alone?!" Ratchet was quick to protest.

"I'll go with him," Talida decided, causing Ratchet to glare at her in protest, "What? We don't exactly have another option here, Ratch! The others are unavailable and I know what I'm doing."

Ratchet sighed and went to open the GroundBridge, knowing that Talida was right, "Fine."

"He says fine. But I don't think he really wants me to go alone," Smokescreen said with a smirk as he glanced at Jack.

"Lida's going with you," Jack stated.

"But my backup will need backup," Smokescreen retorted.

* * *

Something that the Autobots would find hard to believe is that those words were all that were needed to convince Jack to break the rules and join Smokescreen and Talida on this particular relic hunt. Jack, however, was growing to regret making this decision as soon as the GroundBridge portal closed behind them as he came to a horrifying revelation.

"I just pulled a Miko," Jack muttered as he rested his head in his hand.

"Considering that you're dating my best friend, I'm surprised you'd say such a thing," Talida remarked with a smirk, indicating that she meant the opposite.

"Let's go grab a relic!" Smokescreen proclaimed as he took off running.

Unsheathing her Energy Sword, Talida was quick to follow Smokescreen with Jack hot on her heels. Their first course of action was to hide behind rocks, enabling them to view the situation from afar and figure out an intelligent plan. They saw Megatron, a handful of Vehicons and a handful of Insecticons surrounding the mountain that the sword was burrowed in.

"Whoa," Jack whistled.

"Is that what I think it is?" Talida asked as her sword began to glow.

"It's a sword," Jack observed.

"It's not just any sword. That looks like the Star Saber, a legendary sword forged by Solus Prime, as lore would have it. Lore also states that the Star Saber is also the father of Princess Rayna's Energy Sword, hence the way Tally's sword is glowing," Smokescreen explained, gesturing to the sword that was glowing a brilliant bright blue.

"There are also rumors that the Star Saber wields the power of the Matrix," Talida added.

Talida gasped as she suddenly found her sword flying out of her hands. Despite her best efforts to retrieve it, it wouldn't come back. It just kept flying towards the crowd of Decepticons, who were just as surprised as they were about the site. They saw the way the Energy Sword burrow itself into the mountain next to the Star Saber. That confirmed everything Smokescreen said about the two swords being related like Optimus and Talida – father and daughter.

"Did we just see that?" Jack questioned nervously, glancing at Smokescreen and Talida for confirmation.

"Let's just hope my sword didn't give us away. We'd be done like the Thanksgiving turkey if they catch us here," Talida warned.

"Thanksgiving turkey?" Smokescreen repeated in confusion.

"Really, Lida?" Jack said in disbelief.

"It's the first thing I came up with, alright?!" Talida defended herself, raising her hands up to prove her point.

"I'm going to make Optimus proud," Smokescreen proclaimed as he went to stand up.

"Not a good idea," Jack protested.

"Why?" Smokescreen demanded, confused as to why Jack and Talida would stop him from obtaining something that would be potentially important.

"Because Megatron's among the party of Decepticons," Talida answered on Jack's behalf.

"The Dark Lord himself!" Smokescreen gasped before smirking as he pounded his fists together, "He won't know what hit him!"

"Smokescreen, wait! Something's wrong!" Jack cried, stopping Smokescreen as he stood, "Why doesn't Megatron just take the Star Saber?!"

"Germaphobe?" Smokescreen guessed with a shrug.

"We need to wait for backup. There's more to this than it seems," Talida warned.

"You guys heard Ratchet. Backup's not available," Smokescreen retorted as he leapt into the action.

"ENOUGH!" Megatron roared after a long process of removing even more rocks from the mountain, "Commence transport!"

No sooner than the order was given, the grabs were lowered from the Nemesis. The clawed hands burrowed itself into the mountain, maintaining a sturdy grip. Before the grabs could begin to lift the mountain from the ground, the Decepticons were surprised by the firepower coming at them from behind. Turning around, everyone saw Smokescreen coming in for an attack.

"Who in the Pits of Kaon is that?!" Megatron demanded as he saw Smokescreen take down most of his Vehicons.

Smokescreen ignored the Decepticon lord. Instead, he made a grab for the sword. However, he found that he was having the same problems Megatron had before. That problem was the sword refusing to come out of its deep burrow in the rock. That was the same with Talida's sword that was burrowed next to the Star Saber.

"Scrap! That's really in there tight!" Smokescreen remarked, only to cry out in pain as he was shot in the back.

"No! No! This can't be happening!" Jack gasped.

"Hang on!" Talida whispered as she dug out her phone, "Ratchet! You need to get dad over here now! Smokescreen went for the relic! It's something that my sword reacted to! It's called the Star Sab-!"

"Lida!" Jack gritted as he tugged at her red cardigan.

At first, Talida was going to glare at her half-brother and tell him to quiet down. Then she heard the familiar snarl and she forgave her brother immediately. When they turned around, they froze in fear.

An Insecticon was looming over them.

"This will not be good," Talida remarked before screaming at Jack, "Run!"

"_Where in the name of Cybertron are you?!_"

Jack and Talida were having a hard time answering Ratchet's questions. In the process of running for their lives, they continuously dropped Talida's phone and had trouble picking it up. Every time they stopped, the Insecticon came closer. And after their encounter with them on Cybertron, they didn't want to suffer déjà vu.

* * *

"And did you say 'Star Sab'?" Ratchet inquired before realizing what they were trying to tell him, "Oh my… Jack! Talida! Optimus, please respond! I can see that you're alive, Optimus! Your daughter is in danger! Why don't you answer me?!"

* * *

"Ugh!" Arcee exclaimed in frustration, "Every time we get close to the beacon, the signal moves!"

"All of this legwork is giving me itchy fists!" Bulkhead said, punching his fists together to prove his point.

"It seems we have been lead astray by a Decepticon trick," Optimus snarled angrily.

The four of them were surprised to see a blinding light coming from behind. When they turned around, they saw a GroundBridge portal standing there. Glancing around, they were confused. They never called for a GroundBridge. They were having enough trouble establishing basic contact with their base. Then they saw Ratchet race through the portal at speeds that surprised them. They didn't need to be experts at rocket science to know that something was wrong. After all, Ratchet was never like this unless something was seriously wrong and someone was in danger.

"We have a situation!" Ratchet cried.

That earned their attention at once. All they were hoping for was that their friends weren't involved. But knowing their luck, they would be.

* * *

"Shit!" Talida cursed as she glanced behind her.

"Language!" Jack immediately reprimanded.

"You're not that much older than me!" Talida reminded him as they dodged an Insecticon's greedy claws.

"Hey! Two months is a significant age gap, thank you very much!" Jack retorted, "Just remember I'm 17 in a month!"

"Which reminds me," Talida mused, "I still have to ask you what you want for your birthday."

"Seriously, Lida?!" Jack exclaimed in disbelief as they continued running into the forest, "We're being chased by giant alien bot beetles that are trying to kill us! And all you can think about is what to get me for a birthday we might not even be around for?!"

* * *

Back at the site, the Decepticons were enjoying small successes. They were able to commence the removal of the rock in the mountain the two swords were buried…well, according to them, there was only the Star Saber burrowed in the mountain. They didn't know about the Energy Sword being there just yet. But, Megatron didn't want to worry about that for the time being. At the moment, he had something else to worry about.

"Bring him to me," Megatron instructed, gesturing towards the downed Smokescreen.

Smokescreen didn't try to fight the Vehicons. Instead, he allowed himself to be dragged towards the Decepticon lord himself.

* * *

"Over here!" Talida panted.

Immediately, Jack and Talida – still grasping hands – slid across the ground into the cavern between the two rocks very much like they did when they entered that monorail on Cybertron several months ago. Unfortunately for them, Insecticons were known for their relentlessness. They wouldn't give up easy. This was shown by the Insecticon consistently shoving its claws into the cavern in the hopes of staining them with the blood of its victims.

"Come on, Optimus," Jack muttered as he pushed Talida further into the cavern.

"Stay here. I'll distract them," Talida decided as she ran out of the cavern, sliding between the gap made by the Insecticon's thick legs.

"LIDA, NO!" Jack cried as he went to chase after her, only to be stopped by the Insecticon's attack.

* * *

Smokescreen grunted as the Vehicons roughly tossed him to the ground. He was already being dragged across the ground on his knees. Now, he was forced onto his hands and knees. He was forced to kneel before the mech who had caused the war. The one who caused his planet to go dark and die. The one who killed his parents for aligning themselves with Optimus Prime. The thought alone made him want to purge the little Energon in his tanks.

"What is your name, Autobot?" Megatron asked.

"Why? Who wants to know?" Smokescreen responded cheekily with a smirk.

Megatron snarled in anger. If there was one thing he didn't like, it's cheeky Autobots. He raised his hand to prepare to backhand the young Autobot. However, something stopped him. And that something was a firefight. Confusion was written across his face as he turned around. He saw Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee fighting their way through the swarm of Vehicons blocking their way. But Megatron didn't care about them. He only cared about two people.

"Where's Optimus and Talida?!" Megatron demanded nervously.

* * *

"Nice to see you show up," Talida remarked cheekily as she raced to catch up with Optimus.

"You are in trouble when this is over, young lady," Optimus decreed as he tossed Talida in the air and caught her as he transformed into his vehicle form.

"Hey. Worry about that when we stop the Decepticons from taking our swords!" Talida suggested.

"I'll heed your advice," Optimus decided.

That was all the warning Talida was given before Optimus flew off the mountain and transformed into his bipedal form. Fortunately, she had trained for this. So she was prepared. They bounced from structure to structure, desperate to grab that boulder. Megatron was just as desperate to stop them.

"KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THE RELIC!" Megatron instructed as he raced after them.

Immediately, Smokescreen went to shoot at the vehicle forms of Megatron and two Vehicons. However, the fact that the remaining Vehicon had turned around and aimed his own blaster at him stopped Smokescreen from doing just that. That is, until Bulkhead took care of the Vehicon for him.

"I got your back," Bulkhead promised with a slight smirk.

Arcee then heard the snarling sounds of Insecticons after taking down a Vehicon. Glancing around, she saw two Insecticons clawing desperately at a pile of rocks. At first glance, Arcee didn't understand why they were digging at a pile of rocks. Then, she remembered the Insecticon incident that occurred on Cybertron. Everything clicked for her.

Jack was in danger.

When she raced towards the cavern, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen followed.

Meanwhile, Jack was inwardly shivering in fear as the Insecticons removed the rocks he had been using at his hiding place. He then closed his eyes and braced himself.

_BANG!  
_

Jack opened his eyes and saw one Insecticon was taken down by a giant rock. Moments later, Arcee appeared and slit the neck cables of the Insecticon.

"Arcee!" Jack sighed in relief as she knelt towards him.

"What could you have possibly been thinking?!" Arcee demanded in anger.

* * *

Talida quickly clung to her father as he transformed into his vehicle form and raced across the mountain. Megatron and the two Insecticons were on their tail. The ship's guns were firing Energon pellets at them, hoping to strike even once. However, thanks to Optimus' fast maneuvers, the Decepticons only succeeded in hitting the mountain they were driving in.

"Dad, there's the boulder!" Talida cried as she looked out the window.

Immediately, Optimus turned around and raced down the mountain peak. Along the way, his speed picked up.

From the ground, Jack, Arcee, Smokescreen, Bulkhead and Bumblebee watched in worry. What they knew Optimus and Talida were about to do was risky. Megatron and those two Vehicons raining a hail of pellets on them were only a contributing factor to those risks.

They watched as Optimus drove up a small ramp and took off for the boulder. They watched as one of the shots fired by the Vehicons hit Optimus in the side. They watched as Optimus transformed into his bipedal form and continued flying. When he and Talida grabbed the handles of their respective swords, they all let out sighs of relief.

Optimus immediately grasped Talida with his free hand, knowing she wouldn't survive a fall of this magnitude. In sync, the Star Saber and the Energy Sword began glowing a brilliant blue. At long last, their rightful owners have reclaimed them. Slowly, the swords removed themselves from their deep burrow in the boulder.

Megatron and the two Vehicons landed on the rooftop of the Nemesis and raced to the edge of the ship, hoping they were hallucinating. However, they saw the bright blue glowing hues emanating from the ground below. That answered their questions. That confirmed their fears. They got their hands on the relic.

Optimus rose from the ground and Talida hovered in mid-air next to him. Needless to say, the rest of the Autobots were amazed.

"I loosened it for them," Smokescreen shrugged.

"Drop the mountain on them," Megatron snarled.

Arcee, Smokescreen, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Jack stumbled backwards at a thud. Looking up, they saw that the Nemesis had dropped the mountain they were once holding. Normally, they wouldn't be worried. There wasn't a single human population in site. However, Optimus and Talida were right in the boulder's path.

"OPTIMUS, TALIDA, RUN!" Arcee warned as she went to race towards them, only to be held back by Smokescreen.

"NOW!" Bulkhead roared.

"RUN, LIDA!" Jack screamed.

Optimus and Talida did nothing. Instead, they casually swung their swords around…

And sliced the mountain in half.

"Did they just…?" Bulkhead began.

"**Do that?**" Bumblebee finished.

"No way!" Jack gasped in amazement.

The Autobots weren't the only one amazed by what they had just seen. Megatron was having a hard time believing this as well. The Decepticons would even go as far as saying that they all thought they leaked a little transmission fluid at the sight.

But Optimus and Talida weren't done yet. They had one more task to complete. Nodding to each other, they raced forward and spun around a few times. When they were done, they sent waves of energy hurtling towards the rear engines of the Nemesis. They had a hard time suppressing their smirks as they saw the waves hit their target.

"We can do that?!" Smokescreen said in amazement.

* * *

Unfortunately for them, the Nemesis didn't crash land like they hoped it would. The damage done to the engines wasn't bad enough to cause a crash landing. However, it still left the Decepticons shaken up by what the Autobots dished out. It was enough for Megatron to proclaim,

"We Decepticons now face our darkest hour…"

* * *

"How epic was that?!" Smokescreen gushed in excitement once they returned to base and Smokescreen demonstrated what had happened for Ratchet to see, "I saw it with my own optics. But I still can't believe it!"

"You know what I don't believe? After everything you've been told, you still put a human at risk!" Arcee snapped at the new recruit.

"Arcee, it's not his fault. I shouldn't have even-," Jack was cut off.

"Don't even start with me! We'll talk tomorrow! Send Jack home!" Arcee instructed.

"About what you asked in the forest, I'll text you some ideas," Jack promised.

"Green for go," Smokescreen muttered.

"I'll hold you to that," Talida warned as Jack left before turning to Arcee, "Arcee, look! I didn't stop Smokescreen from doing this! I take full responsibility for everything that happened today!"

"No. Talida was just trying to cover for me!" Smokescreen protested, "I'm not letting her become my fall guy. Everything was my fault."

"You've got that right! We've been needing another Autobot in our ranks. Not another child!" Arcee continued.

"Look, Arcee, I was wrong. And I'm sorry…again," Smokescreen apologized, "And if you need to kick me off Team Prime…"

"Disregard for human safety or anyone's safety – particularly the safety of my daughter – will not be tolerated. Do you understand?" Optimus rumbled dangerously.

Everyone else in the room cringed slightly at that. Optimus was protective of everyone. But the minute someone threatens to bring harm to his family – his spark mate, his teenage daughter, his mech youngling – he throws his duties as a Prime aside and reminds that person that bringing harm to his family or even mentioning the intention to is a fatal mistake.

"Fully, sir," Smokescreen nodded, "Talida's been my best friend since I arrived. We've grown extremely close over painful experiences we have suffered through. I promised myself when I first saw her that I would protect her. Sacrifice my life for her if I had to. And that is a promise I intend to keep."

"Oh great. Not another overprotective bot," Talida moaned as she rested her forehead against the hilt of her sword.

"**Watch it, mate! That's my fiancée you're talking about!**" Bumblebee threatened, his jealousy shining through.

"We must never lose fact that upon this Earth, we are titans or born of titans and such power must be used wisely," Optimus told everyone in the room.

Everyone gaped when Optimus' and Talida's swords began glowing in their hands. Optimus and Talida shifted the positions of their swords so that the tip of their blades were pointing towards the ceiling high above them. And there they stood. They were still. They were in another world and unable to acknowledge the others.

"Whoa!" Bulkhead gaped.

"Optimus! Talida! Speak to me!" Ratchet pleaded them, "Optimus! Talida!"

"We are receiving a beacon," Optimus told them.

"From who?" Ratchet inquired.

Optimus and Talida said nothing. Instead, they turned towards the GroundBridge and pointed their blades at the tunnel. Waves of light sprouted from their swords and swarmed around the GroundBridge to create a portal. Everyone gaped at this. What was happening? What were Optimus and Talida doing? Who was coming?

All of their questions were answered when a tall figure walked through the portal. The portal never closed. But they didn't care about that. They only cared about who walked through the portal.

It was someone that they thought they would never see again.

"Alpha Trion," Talida answered.

"Nice to see you again, my disciples," Alpha Trion greeted.

"_And I was hiding,  
_'_Til you came along.  
__And showed me where I belong…_

_You found me,  
__When no one else was lookin'.  
__How did you know?  
__How did you know…_

_You found me,  
__When no one else was lookin'.  
__How did you know just where I would be?_

_Yeah, you broke through,  
__All of my confusion.  
__The ups and the downs.  
__And you still didn't leave.  
__I guess that you saw what nobody could see.  
__You found me…_

_(You found me,)  
__(When no one else was lookin'.)  
__You found me…  
__(How did you know just where I would be?)_

_You broke through,  
__All of my confusion.  
__The ups and the downs.  
__And you still didn't leave.  
__I guess that you saw what nobody could see._

_The good and the bad.  
__And the things in between.  
__You found me…_

_You found me…_"

* * *

**Here we go, guys! The episode we've all been waiting for! At least, the episode I've been eager to write. I mean, why else would I be rushing to get here?!**

**Anyway… IT'S ALPHA/OMEGA, BABY!**

**Here's the promo to tie you guys over for a little bit…**

* * *

_Megatron: I must find a way to tip the balance of power back in our favor!  
_

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Megatron: At long last, the Power of the Primes belongs to me!_

_**Show Megatron wielding the Forge of Solus Prime**_

_**Show Megatron wielding the Dark Star Saber against Smokescreen and Arcee**_

_Optimus: By the AllSpark, Megatron!_

_Talida: What have you done?!  
_

_**Show Arcee and Smokescreen fighting against Megatron near ancient ruins**_

_**Show Optimus, Talida and Megatron preparing to attack one another**_

_Optimus: NO!_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**I know that some of you have pretty much figured out what's gonna happen – thank you to those who haven't said, by the way – but please let me enjoy this moment I'm having where I get to tease you guys and get away with it. Thank you.**

**You guys know what to do! Review! Fave! Alert! Whatever! Especially if you want more!**

**BYE!**


	20. Alpha Omega

**OK. Being able to update the story consistently was fun while it lasted. School starts again on Monday and as you know, the final two years of high school are go time! So I have to buckle down and get real serious with my studies.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Bee4ever: **_**I loved this episode! The look on Megatron's face when Optimus used the Star Saber was priceless! And Bee is jealous! How cute!**_

**Last episode was pretty priceless.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**This episode was freaking EPIC! :D But the next episode is gonna be even EPICER!  
**_

**Got that right!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker; **_**Holy…Crap! Alpha Trion actually CAME instead of giving them some message?! Oh man, craps about to go down! Oh and now you see why I don't like Smokey much after this episode but he's still badaft!  
**_

**I'll give you that.**

**lancepm: (1) **_**ooh!nice. liquid pride (sniff, sniff)**_

**Liquid pride?**

**(2) **_**oh whatever you do. Do not bring the triple-agent sideswipe into the mix. Yeash! Call me a fleshling would ya!**_

**I don't even know what you're talking about with Sideswipe.**

**(3) **_**talent resides everywhere even in the leased of these.**_

**Wha?  
**

**(4) **_**you know whats epic, having Michael Ironside potray ultra magnus. Be still my pump! (batman fan)**_

**That guy's too tightly wound for his own good. He needs to loosen up a bit.**

**(5) **_**held by Natalie Grant. Sad song.**_

**STOP POSTING SO MANY REVIEWS! TRY TO LIMIT YOURSELF! PLEASE! I DO HAVE OTHERS TO REPLY TO!**

**(6) **_**I was talking about a crossover.**_

**Oh… Please read the reply to your fifth review and try to limit yourself. Thank you.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**You know the Autobots were not precent in 'Patch', I think I know what you could do with the Them during the events of the episode.**_

_**The Mandarin: The wedding? She may not go for it Master…**_

_**It's just a guess.**_

**Thanks for reminding me about that! Because…I'll admit. The promo for Patch kinda freaked me out – because, you know, it's STARSCREAM – so I actually never watched it. :/**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Ok Smokey made some mistakes. But he's still young yet and didn't experience what the rest of them have. He'll learn in time. He meant well. Too bad I know what Megajerk will do next… Please update!**_

**If I didn't hate Megatron before, I hate him now.**

**haloangel21: **_**Great chapter! This episode was my second favorite behind Triage. Optimus with a badass sword and Megatron's scared face. Best part of the whole episode. **_

**Everyone on YouTube reckons that Megatron actually leaked a little transmission fluid…and so did everyone else in the room.**

**lmp21dragonhand:**_** well I like episode 16 because of Clancy brown.**_

**Doy…**

**tfp-fan: **_**EPICALLY EPIC CHAPTER! :D BTW, in the next episode when Megatron cuts off that Prime's arm and replaces his old arm with it then uses the Forge to make the Dark Star Saber, do you think that's the worst thing he's ever done? Aside from flooding the Earth's core with Dark Energon?**_

**That last one wasn't him. That was Unicron.**

**Miko873: **_**2 things. First, that was so fricken AWESOME! Second is a question, was it hard revising that whole episode?  
**_

**I actually write the chapters as I watch the episode. That way I can get it just right.**

**dx-1118: **_**Whoa! Didn't see that coming! Alpha Trion on Earth? What next!?  
**__**Thank you for updating so quickly. Can't wait till the next chapter! It's gonna be epic!  
**__**Now, I know you don't like me writing long reviews, but I have an urgent question. In Rising Darkness you explained that Talida, being a techno-organic, runs on Enerblood, a mixture of Energon and human blood. In one chapter Ratchet explained that since Talida can't produce Energon naturally in her system, she needs regular doses of it from him to maintain her Energon-to-blood ratio. So my question is, if Raf is Talida and Bumblebee's son, and is therefore only one-quarter human, then wouldn't he also need Energon? Because as you yourself pointed out with Talida's suicide attempt with that Tox-En, any imbalance to a techno-organic's Energon-blood ratio can be fatal, so shouldn't Raf have died years ago?  
**__**Sorry about all that, but I feel I had to point that out since it is kind of a plot hole. Don't hate me! I love your writing and your characters! Really! Update soon!**_

**It varies with the amount of exposure to Energon they have growing up and who actually raises them. With techno-organics, within the first year of their life, their bodies begin adapting to the environment they will live in. Since her Cybertronian parents rather than human parents raised Talida, she has developed the dependency on the Enerblood mixture (they actually didn't find out until she was five years old). Raf, as you know, was raised by a human family and wasn't exposed to Energon until he finds out about the war. Do you get it?**

**The Mandarin: **_**dx-1118's comment reminds us of something… How did you come up with Enerblood?**_

**I just came up with it randomly. I can't exactly explain it.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**In the End**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**Ah... If there's one thing that I was unable to resist, it's using the song that brought Linkin Park to stardom. Sure. All of their songs are amazing. But **_**In the End**_** is what put Linkin Park on the map!**

**Oh! One question! Who plays the Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion game! I'm playing it and if you wanna add me, you can! My username is Cazna. As for why I used it…I misunderstood the name question. :/ Don't laugh at my confusion. And…do NOT make fun of that name. It's my actual birth name! So make fun of it…watch out.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_(It starts with one…)_

_One thing! I don't know why!  
__It doesn't even matter how hard you try!  
__Keep that in mind! I designed this rhyme,  
__To explain in due time!  
__All I know…_

_Time is a valuable thing!  
__Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings!  
__Watch it count down to the end of the day!  
__The clock ticks life away!  
__It's so unreal…_

_Didn't look out below!  
__Watch the time go right out the window!  
__Trying to hold on but didn't even know!  
__Wasted it all just to watch you go…_

_I kept everything inside.  
__And even though I tried,  
__It all fell apart._

_What it meant to me,  
__Will eventually be a memory of a time when,_

_I tried so hard!  
__And got so far!  
__But in the end,  
__It doesn't even matter!_

_I had to fall,  
__To lose it all!  
__But in the end,  
__It doesn't even matter!_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_It will only respond to the power of a Prime, Princess Rayna or someone wielding the Energy Sword!" Megatron gasped in horror._

"_Talida and I have picked up a second Iacon locator beacon!" Ratchet reported._

"_I'll go," Smokescreen volunteered._

_"Smokescreen chooses a vehicle mode with screaming double 38s on the doors, making him an easy target. I wouldn't be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about Jack's safety," Arcee confessed._

"_The Star Saber. A legendary weapon forged by Solus Prime," Smokescreen identified._

"_We Decepticons now faced our darkest hour," Megatron proclaimed darkly._

"_We are receiving a beacon," Optimus announced._

"_From who?" Ratchet immediately inquired, only to have Optimus and Talida answer by opening a portal to reveal…_

"_Alpha Trion," Talida answered, causing everyone to gape in surprise and disbelief at the figure standing before them._

"_Nice to see you again, my disciples," Alpha Trion greeted._

"Forgive me, Lord Megatron. While I do not question the wisdom of our tactical retreat, know that I am fully prepared to lead the troops in a counterattack against the Autobots," Dreadwing proclaimed.

"Counterattack?!" Megatron repeated in disbelief as he whirled around to face his first lieutenant, "Perhaps you failed to notice Optimus and Talida Prime cleave an entire mountain with a single blow! With the Star Saber in his possession along with Talida possessing Princess Rayna's Energy Sword, my enemies can oblviate us all with a single wave of their hands! I must find a way to tip the balance of power back in our favor!"

"Do we also not possess a powerful relic of the Ancients?" Dreadwing inquired.

"Indeed. The Forge of Solus Prime," Megatron nodded, "But it is useless except in the hands of a Prime, Princess Rayna or her incarnate."

That was when Megatron froze as a realization struck him. He began chuckling. Dreadwing just stood there confused. He knew that Megatron had formed a plan. But he didn't understand why he was chuckling or even what the plan was.

"But I might be able to wield that power if I were to control such a hand," Megatron mused with a chuckle.

* * *

"Alpha Trion?!" Ratchet gasped in disbelief.

"Nice to see you again," Talida nodded curtly.

"Likewise, young one," Alpha Trion responded with a curt nod, "You look well after our encounter on Cybertron. I only wish we had met again under better circumstances. If only Iacon were able to withstand the final assault…"

"So you speak to us from across the ages?" Optimus guessed in bewilderment.

"No. I am here. I am real. The Star Saber could only bring me here by combining the power of both that sword and the Energy Sword of Princess Rayna. I am certain that the two of you have now deduced why Cybertronian relics and Decepticon relics have come to be found on such a remote world," Alpha Trion assumed, "Indeed, I had transported them here. But not so much to keep them out of Megatron's hands. But to ensure that they would reach yours."

That last sentence caused Optimus and Talida to gape at the original Prime in disbelief.

What on Earth did Alpha Trion mean by that?

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_One thing! I don't know why!  
__It doesn't even matter how hard I tried!  
__Keep that in mind! I designed this rhyme,  
__To remind myself how,  
__I tried so hard…_

_In spite of the way you were mocking me,  
__Acting like I was part of your property!  
__Remembering all the times you fought with me!  
__I'm surprised it got so far…_

_Things aren't the way they were before!  
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore!  
Not that you knew me back then!  
But it all comes back to me,_

_(In the end…)_

_You kept everything inside.  
__And even though I tried,  
__It all fell apart!_

_What is meant to me,  
__Will eventually be a memory of a time when!_

_I tried so hard!  
And got so far!  
But in the end,  
__It doesn't even matter!_

_I had to fall,  
__To lose it all!  
__But in the end,  
__It doesn't even matter…_"

"As you may have long suspected, the Covenant of Primus records events of the future as well as the past," Alpha Trion began.

"We know. The prophecy involving Unicron being our Earth's core?" Talida reminded everyone dryly.

"Talida," Optimus warned.

"Sorry," Talida mumbled.

"There is no need to apologize, young one. I understand your point perfectly," Alpha Trion shook his head, "My _imperfect_ understanding of its runes affords me of a shadowy glimpse of what is to come. The Covenant's pages foretold that you, Optimus Prime, would journey to there small but significant planet, assist in the conception of a daughter who would be destined to follow Princess Rayna's footsteps and there engage in a crucial chapter of the war against the Decepticons. I know neither the nature of the battle nor its outcome. I only hope that these relics of the ancients will aide the Autobots in your time of need."

"What are they?" Optimus inquired.

"What I am about to show you will be transmitted into your minds via your swords. They must be for your eyes only until my departure. Afterwards, you must begin the work to find them," Alpha Trion told them.

"Show us," Talida immediately requested.

That was when they saw what they were going to devote their time finding. While the images flashed around in their minds, they understood instantly. Thanks to Alpha Trion, they knew why they came to Earth after the exodus. There was something here they had to search for. A search they had to be devoted to.

"Optimus! Talida!" Ratchet gasped as the two suddenly fell backwards.

Ratchet, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were barely able to catch Optimus while Arcee and Smokescreen immediately swooped to catch Talida before she fell. Alpha Trion just stood there casually. He knew they saw what they needed to.

"I think I will show myself out," Alpha Trion decided before disappearing.

"Easy, you two," Ratchet coaxed as the Autobots helped the two Primes onto their feet.

"Aw, that's nice! I spent the final days of the war guarding the guy and he didn't even bother to notice me! Let alone say hi!" Smokescreen sulked.

"What did he want us to find?!" Bulkhead asked eagerly as he shoved Smokescreen out of the way.

"It is paramount that we recover the final four Iacon relics," Optimus announced, "The Omega Keys."

"Keys?" Arcee repeated in confusion.

"To what?" Ratchet demanded.

"To the regeneration of Cybertron," Talida answered.

* * *

"Earth's moon is a barren rock, is it not?" Dreadwing asked Megatron as they stood on the roof while the Nemesis flew towards the moon.

"Indeed, Dreadwing," Megatron nodded in agreement, "But the moon is not our destination."

At first, Dreadwing was confused. What were they doing out there if they weren't even contemplating flying to the moon? Then they flew around the moon and he knew.

The Decepticon Space Bridge – the new version they had built after the explosion of the previous construction – was hidden from plain sight behind the grey mass.

"A Space Bridge!" Dreadwing gasped.

"Our very own. Relocated after the Autobots discovered its whereabouts on Earth. The dark side of the moon is hidden from prying human eyes. And more importantly, well out of the Autobots' reach," Megatron clarified, "Come, Dreadwing! We shall travel to the one place in the galaxy which may provide the means of defeating Optimus and Talida Prime!"

Without another word said, the two transformed into their respective vehicle forms and flew through the Space Bridge portal Soundwave had activated for them.

* * *

"Pack your gear! We're going back to Cybertron!" Bulkhead cheered.

"**I can't believe it!**" Bumblebee whirled excitedly.

Ratchet cackled in joy before exclaiming in relief, "Believe it now, Bumblebee! Civilization at last!"

"But I just got here!" Smokescreen protested.

"I remember oil baths! First thing I'm gonna do planet side is soak for a whole solar cycle!" Arcee decided, gesturing to her body that was worn from millennia of battle and motherhood.

"I can't wait to tell Miko!" Bulkhead gushed, causing everyone to remember just who they would leave behind if they ended up returning to Cybertron.

"And Jack," Arcee sighed.

"**And Raf**," Bumblebee bleeped sadly.

"Er, Optimus, Talida, keys open doors. Can they really revive an entire planet?" Smokescreen asked.

"While I am unfamiliar about the lore of these Omega Keys, Alpha Trion knew many secrets," Optimus stated.

"The technology of the ancients has long been lost to the conventions of modern science," Talida piped in.

* * *

When Megatron and Dreadwing exited the Space Bridge portal they flew through, they found themselves flying through the all-too-familiar blackened skies. The ruins of buildings and homes and the bodies of the fallen littered the ground. There wasn't a flicker of light left on the planet known as Cybertron. All expect for the small smoldering fire that was still burning at the Hall of Records in Iacon due to the missile Megatron had launched in the hopes of terminating Arcee, Jack, Talida and Alpha Trion several months before. Even though he had witnessed the destruction of his home world, Dreadwing was still left in shock.

"The devastation to our home world is worse than I remember," Dreadwing confessed as they flew over the ruined cities before proclaiming, "Curse the Autobots to the pit!"

* * *

"Whatever their function, this much is certain," Optimus began as everyone gathered around Talida and himself.

"Without having all four Omega Keys in our possession, we can't revive Cybertron," Talida continued.

"Which means we can't afford a single one falling to Megatron," Arcee surmised.

"Four sets of coordinates from Alpha Trion remain encrypted. It is logical to conclude that each coordinates correspond to the location of the Omega Keys," Optimus went on.

"Dad and I cannot afford to stop working until all four coordinates are decoded. The future of Cybertron is riding on us finding those Omega Keys," Talida finished.

* * *

When Megatron and Dreadwing arrived to where Megatron desired to go, it became clear to Dreadwing that they haven't returned to Cybertron to survey once again the damage the darkness and brutality of war had left behind. While Dreadwing stood behind him holding a flashlight, Megatron pushed a door open. When he saw the contents of the room, he realized where Megatron had taken him.

"A tomb!" Dreadwing gasped.

"One known to contain the remains of Primes," Megatron added before smirking, "Please. Tell me you are not adverse to desecration."

"It is just that being in such a place evokes powerful emotions," Dreadwing confessed, already feeling his split spark begin to hum in pain and grief, "Considering the fate of my twin."

"Then you should delight in our purpose here," Megatron shrugged with a smirk as they approached a tomb, "To extract our revenge on Skyquake and of all our fallen brethren…"

That was all the convincing that Dreadwing had needed. Immediately, he grabbed the lid of one of the tomb and began sliding it away from its casket. As the body of the Prime housed inside was slowly unveiled.

Unsheathing the sword, Megatron raised his arm…and executed the swipe.

* * *

"You shall require more practical means of carrying such a blade," Ratchet stated to Optimus as he began working on a sheath for the Star Saber.

"He's right. It made my life easier with the Energy Sword," Talida laughed slightly as she and Optimus worked on decoding the final four coordinates.

"I know it feels funny saying this. But I'm not sure I want to go back," Arcee confessed.

"Who knew we'd ever get so used to our new home?" Bulkhead asked rhetorically.

"**I don't want to leave my son!**" Bumblebee immediately decreed, "**Not after Tally and I had only just found him again!**"

"Yeah. I don't think I'd ever want to leave Miko," Bulkhead admitted.

"We've made friends here. Family," Arcee stated, sadness in her voice.

"We could always…text them" Ratchet suggested with a shrug, "Just like Talida will."

"I will what?!" Talida stuttered as she suddenly stopped working, causing Optimus to cringe slightly.

"You never told her," Ratchet mumbled.

"Told me what?" Talida demanded.

Optimus let out a heavy sigh before saying, "Talida, you are the incarnate of our Princess. What Alpha Trion said about you being destined to follow in Rayna's footsteps was true. Before Cybertron went dark, Rayna was our sole ruler, despite the planet being slowly destroyed by the darkness and brutality of war. What Ratchet is trying to say is there are certain duties that are unavoidable. Among them being returning to Cybertron once it is revived…and becoming its queen."

"WHAT?!" Talida screeched in disbelief.

"I will tell you everything later, sweetspark," Optimus promised before resuming his work.

"You'd better," Talida threatened before resuming her own work.

Deciding to change topics from the startling revelation, Bulkhead brought something else up, "After fighting the war for so long, it feels like I can't do anything else! My soul mate died during the exodus! So it's not exactly like I can settle down and raise a family!"

"You could always go back to construction," Ratchet suggested, "The power of the ancients may be able to breathe life back into the planet's core. But our war-ravaged cities will surely require rebuilding."

"I wouldn't make any travel plans just yet. We still have to find the Omega Keys and secure them before the 'Cons do," Arcee pointed out.

"Yeah. Like that will be a problem," Smokescreen scoffed, "Optimus as the Star Saber now! With the combination of the Star Saber and the Energy Sword, Megatron's end is in sight!"

* * *

"Yes, I can do it, Lord Megatron. If you're certain that's what you really want," Knock Out relented to Megatron's rather strange request.

"Like nothing I've ever desired before, doctor," Megatron rumbled.

"I shall induce stasis," Knock Out sighed as he went to type in the commands.

"NO!" Megatron cried, causing Knock Out to freeze, "I wish to bear witness as you attach my new appendage."

"Coming up," Knock Out nodded as he transformed his servo into his rotor saw.

Megatron closed his optics and looked away as the sparks began to fly off his arm. Eventually, he did open his blood red optics. But not to watch the gruesome work of Knock Out removing the bottom half of his current arm from the elbow below.

But to stare at the blood red hand he had taken from the tomb of the Primes on Cybertron that would soon become his new appendage…

* * *

"Autobots, Talida and I have decoded the first set of the final four coordinates!" Optimus proclaimed.

"You all will be dividing into teams in case the two of us decode another set of coordinates before the first team return to base," Talida added

"I'm on team 1!" Smokescreen immediately decided, "Who's with me?!"

"I'll go," Arcee answered as she stepped forward with a slight smirk.

"After you, sir…ma'am…commander," Smokescreen stuttered nervously.

"This will be interesting," Talida muttered with a small smirk.

"You can say that again," Ratchet nodded in agreement as he activated the GroundBridge.

* * *

The operation Knock Out had performed on Megatron was nothing short of a success. Glancing between the Forge of Solus Prime lying in the vault and his new appendage, Megatron smirked. Before, he was able to hold the Forge of Solus Prime in his hands; but was unable to utilize its powers due to not being a Prime or Princess Rayna's incarnation. Now, with the hand of a Prime attached to his arm, not only can he hold the Forge.

He can also utilize its power.

"Yes," Megatron chuckled happily as he lifted the Forge from its small vault, watching how it came to life at his touch, "At long last, the Power of the Primes belongs to me!"

* * *

The coordinates Optimus and Talida had decoded led Arcee and Smokescreen to one of the many deserts in Egypt. Arcee was able to recognize that they were in Egypt due to the pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza surrounding them and she knew for a fact that the Valley of the Kings wouldn't be far from where they were.

"First ones here," Smokescreen declared after a brief check of the area.

"No locator beacon. Which means the relic is still buried. Right about…there," Arcee proclaimed as she pointed to a nearby pyramid.

* * *

Megatron was quick to take advantage of his newfound power. He was at work using the Forge of Solus Prime to transform a simple clump of Dark Energon into a powerful weapon. Knock Out and Dreadwing watched on with interest.

"The Forge of Solus Prime possesses the ability to create anything from raw material!" Dreadwing stated.

"And in this case, the raw material would be a great hunk of Dark Energon," Knock Out added.

* * *

While Megatron was busy utilizing an Iacon relic, Arcee and Smokescreen were hunting around the pyramids of Egypt for one that belonged to a set of four. Slowly, they found themselves being led to a series of tunnels underneath the pyramids. Taking his opportunity, Smokescreen decided that he should try and make things right.

"Er, Arcee, I owe you an apology. I never meant to endanger Jack. Humans squish easily! I get that now!" Smokescreen promised.

"This isn't just about Jack! Team Prime can't afford any casualties! Human or bot!" Arcee snapped before continuing forward, but not without adding, "I've already lost two seasoned partners! I don't need a rookie on my scorecard!"

"Not gonna happen. Elite Guardsman honor," Smokescreen vowed before remembering something Arcee had just told him as he went to follow her, "Wait. You've lost two partners?!"

* * *

As Megatron came close to the completion of his weapon, Soundwave walked in. Despite the lack of sound coming from the spy, his presence didn't go unnoticed. Megatron immediately stopped working to see what Soundwave needed him to know.

He saw a map take up the black spaces of Soundwave's faceless visor. Immediately, Megatron know what it meant.

"You have decoded the next set of Iacon coordinates. Excellent work, Soundwave," Megatron complimented.

* * *

"Heh. Nice of the humans to pile a ton of rocks on top of our relic, huh?" Smokescreen joked dryly as he and Arcee walked through the tunnels in a crouched position.

The deeper the two Autobots walked into the ancient tunnel network, the louder and the faster the beeping from Arcee's scanner became. Eventually, it changed from a series of quiet, fast beeps to one shrill long beep. Arcee and Smokescreen observed the hieroglyphics that were written on the walls of the tunnel. They didn't need to know how to study the hieroglyphics to know what they were saying.

"Pretty much spells things out, doesn't it?" Smokescreen remarked.

"Come on. Help me move this," Arcee requested.

Smokescreen didn't bother to object. And it wasn't just because he wanted to get on the femme's good side. Together, they removed a block of clay from the wall structure. Fortunately for them, the removal of a stable block didn't bring the entire place down on top of them. Due to the tunnels being thousands of years old, Arcee and Smokescreen didn't know just how fragile time has made them.

When the cavern was revealed, all of their worrying was rewarded with relief. One of the Omega Keys they desperately needed to find was lying on the floor. Waiting for any Cybertronian to find where it was buried and take it away.

"The Ancient Humans must have thought the Omega Key was a gift from the Gods," Smokescreen guessed.

"And in a sense, they weren't wrong," Arcee smirked slightly.

The closer they came to the exit, the queasier Arcee began to feel deep inside. Something deep in her gut was telling her that something was seriously wrong. That trouble was lying ahead. When they exited the tunnels, they saw that Arcee's gut feeling was corrected. Megatron was standing there waiting for them.

And they knew what he would want since there was only one reason he would be here.

"The relic…now," Megatron requested impatiently.

"Two against one. We can take him!" Smokescreen promised Arcee as they prepared to fight.

That was before, with his newly acquired hand, he unveiled his new weapon. Using the Forge of Solus Prime, Megatron had transformed a simple chunk of Dark Energon crystals into a glowing, powerful, dangerous purple sword. Smokescreen and Arcee gaped in horror at the site of Megatron's new weapon. Before their eyes, they saw their chances decrease.

"Ratchet! GroundBridge! NOW!" Arcee immediately requested.

No GroundBridge was sent. So Arcee and Smokescreen were left to face this alone. And they knew that surviving Megatron like this were severely slim. Smirking, Megatron swiped his sword like Optimus and Talida do with theirs. A wave of dark energy was emitted from the sword. Unable to move, Arcee and Smokescreen were hit in the chest by the force. The force was enough to send them flying.

The two of them landed roughly in the desert sand a few hundred feet away from the Pyramids of Giza and separated from one another. The Omega Key they had acquired landed a few feet away from them.

Despite the odds that were mounting against them, Smokescreen wouldn't give up. He stood up and began racing towards Megatron, firing Energon pellets from his blasters. Amused, the Decepticon Lord used his new sword to reflect them away from his form.

Arcee watched in horror as Megatron's sword emitted another wave from another swipe. This one attacked Smokescreen, who was still attacking. She watched in horror as Smokescreen was knocked off his pedes and sent flying. This time, he didn't stop. Not until he came into contact with the wall behind him. With all the sand appearing from the ground upon impact, she couldn't see him. To her, it seemed as though Smokescreen simply disintegrated to dust.

"SMOKESCREEN!" Arcee cried in horror.

"What manner of treasure did Iacon send us this time?" Megatron mused as he picked up the Omega Key with his free hand before using the tip of his sword to make the saddened Arcee face him, "I could slice you into two right now and delight in the pain your spark mate, who happens to be my baby brother, would feel due to a spark fracture. But I need you to deliver a message. Tell Optimus and Talida Prime that if they want this relic, they have to come and get it themselves."

With those words exchanged, Megatron threw the relic to the ground.

* * *

"And then Smokescreen was just…gone," Arcee recalled sadly as she told everyone back at the base what had happened, "Like he turned to dust."

"No," Talida whispered, causing Optimus to rub her back in a comforting manner.

"Poor kid," Bulkhead sighed sadly.

"Arcee, do not blame yourself. It could just as been easily been you," Ratchet reminded her.

"I say we go claim a piece of Megatron's miserable hide!" Bulkhead proclaimed as he and Bumblebee marched towards the GroundBridge, charging their weapons along the way.

"No!" Optimus immediately protested, "We have already lost another one of our own today. I will not risk anymore lives."

"Based on what Arcee has witnessed, it stands to reason that Megatron has somehow managed to get his hands on something that resembles the Star Saber. Because of this, there are only two people that can retrieve the Omega Keys. And those two people are Dad and myself," Talida declared.

"The fate of Cybertron rests upon its retrieval," Ratchet reminded the two.

"Whether Megatron knows it or not," Bulkhead piped in.

* * *

Knowing what they had to do, Optimus and Talida left the confines of their base. Armed and ready, they made their way to the coordinates Arcee had just left. Each step was filled with caution. As though their next step would be their last. Eventually, they reached the relic that was sticking out in the sand…and Megatron himself.

"Claim your prize, brother…if you can," Megatron tormented with a smirk as he approached them.

It was then that Optimus and Talida got a good look at the Decepticon Lord. When they did, they gaped in horror at the sight they were presented with. Megatron looked like his usual crappy self. But there were some adjustments. The new dark red appendage stood out against the gunmetal grey of his paint. But Optimus and Talida weren't sure of what sight horrified them the most. Megatron's new arm or new weapon.

"By the AllSpark, Megatron!" Optimus gasped in horror.

"What have you done?!" Talida demanded in the same horror her father held.

"This, my dear niece? I find it affords me certain advantages…such as the Forge of Solus Prime!" Megatron smirked as he unsheathed the glowing purple sword he had used on Arcee and Smokescreen moments before, "My first creation, fashioned from the Blood of Unicron! I call it the Dark Star Saber! Slayer of Primes, if you will!"

The battle began then and there. For some witnesses, it would resemble a light show. The streams of bright blue and vibrant purple battling one another in a fight between good and evil. Every attack Optimus and Talida made, Megatron rebutted and vice versa. The majority of the time, Optimus was doing his best to protect his daughter. This somewhat amused Megatron as an idea formed in his head.

"Why waste your energy, Optimus?! I am sure my dear niece can protect herself! In fact, why don't you allow us to have our own little duel?!" Megatron suggested with a smirk.

"Over my dead body!" Optimus immediately snarled in response.

"Bring it on, Uncle!" Talida challenged.

"Sweetspark, no!" Optimus pleaded.

"I can do this, dad!" Talida reassured him.

"Then let us begin," Megatron suggested.

"With pleasure," Talida nodded with a smirk.

With those words exchanged, their glowing swords clashed with each other's blades. A cosmic wave of light emitted from this action, creating an atmosphere of blue and purple. Optimus tried to join the fight. But he found that he couldn't. It was almost as if an invisible force emitted from the swords were holding him back, stopping him from protecting his daughter.

"You have been practicing, my dear niece. Your form has improved significantly since our last encounter," Megatron observed as she continuously blocked his attacks.

"What can I say, Uncle Megsy? I've been more than eager to do this again," Talida confessed as she swiped at his legs, causing him to jump before their swords collided again.

"At last, you, me and your father, we take our rightful places. As GODS with the powers of the cosmos!" Megatron proclaimed.

"My father and I are nothing more than soldiers, my dear uncle! But you?! You're nothing more than a prisoner of your own twisted illusions!" Talida spat.

With a scream, Talida used her powers to block one of Megatron's attacks. Surprised and horrified, Megatron fell onto the desert sand on his back. Something he would have trouble believing is his niece being able to beat him. That was something he wouldn't allow to continue. Talida had the chance to end it. But when she heard her dangerous snarl, her body refused to react. She was frozen.

"And the tides of the war shall forever be shifted," Megatron proclaimed with a smirk.

"TALIDA, RUN!" Optimus yelled as he raced forward.

"You will never win," Talida snarled, each word filled with a promise.

"We shall see," Megatron retorted as he raised his sword in preparation to strike, "I never wanted things between us to end this way. But you have left me no other option!"

"TALIDA!" Optimus called.

"No! NO!" Talida begged.

She raised her sword in an attempt to block the oncoming attack. But nothing would have worked. Megatron's sword came down from the side and struck her. Talida's dying screams echoed all around them as the sword sliced her into two. Her remains didn't fall onto the sand like everyone else's who died this way. Instead, she disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke hurtling towards the skies. The only things that landed in the sand were her Energy Sword and the gold heart-shaped locket Optimus had given her for her sixteenth birthday.

"NO! NO!" Optimus roared in horror as he knelt to the ground, desperately feeling around for his teenage daughter, his body already trembling in grief, "TALIDA!"

"As much as it…_pains_ me, it had to be done," Megatron shrugged casually.

He went to walk away. Take the relic and leave his brother kneeling on the sand crying over his daughter – his dear niece – that he had killed. He was never able to.

When he turned around, he saw Optimus racing towards him roaring in anger and grief. He swung his sword around, intending to do to Megatron what he did to his daughter. But Megatron easily blocked his attack and blocked the others that followed. Eventually, Megatron overpowered Optimus and swiped his arm.

"My Dark Star Saber has tasted two sparks tonight, one of which being the incarnate of Princess Rayna. But it still thirsts for the spark of a Prime!" Megatron sneered.

Within moments, Megatron had knocked Optimus onto the ground and left him struggling to get back up. With a roar, the Decepticon Lord went to kill his baby brother and finally end the war in his favor. However, Optimus raised his sword in defense at the last second.

Very much like the dying screams of his daughter, the sword shattered and disintegrated.

Optimus knelt on the ground once again, defeated. His sword was destroyed. There was no way he would be able to stand up against Megatron's attacks. Not while he had the Dark Star Saber in his possession. He felt the edge of the blade against his shoulder and upper back. Normally, it would signify the bestowing of knighthood. But he knew it wouldn't be.

"And so it ends! Just as I envisioned! With your head beside my new trophy!" Megatron snarled as he raised his sword to strike…

"Oh, you mean this?!"

In confusion and horror, Megatron turned around to the source of the voice. When he did, he saw Smokescreen standing there casually with the Omega Key. He was confused as to how Smokescreen was still alive after he supposedly died. He was horrified by the fact that Smokescreen had taken the relic right under his nose.

"Finders keepers!" Smokescreen smirked.

Taking the opportunity, Optimus used the remains of the Star Saber to strike Megatron in the chest, forcing him to stumble backwards. Smokescreen immediately raced forward to join the fight.

"SMOKESCREEN, FALL BACK!" Optimus ordered, not wanting to lose another life tonight.

Smokescreen didn't listen. He still kept coming. Even as Megatron sent a wave of dark energy hurtling towards him. He was able to avoid it. He watched the tides shift over and over again. When it looked like Optimus could win, Megatron overpowered him. Megatron sent another wave of Dark Energy towards them. Immediately, Smokescreen knew that this time, it would be fata. So he raced forward and grabbed hold of his leader. To their surprise, the ray went right through them.

"RATCHET! GROUNDBRIDGE!" Optimus barked into the commlink.

"NO!" Megatron roared.

"Missed us!" Smokescreen tormented with a smirk.

Without a hesitation, Optimus and Smokescreen raced through the GroundBridge. Roaring in anger, Megatron went to give chase. For extra measure, he swiped his Dark Star Saber, emitting a wave of energy hurtling towards them. Unfortunately for him, Optimus and Smokescreen raced through the GroundBridge in time and the portal slammed shut behind them. The wave Megatron sent towards them dissipated. However, instead of screaming in anger as he did before, he chuckled darkly.

"Run, Optimus. Run! Those trinkets from Iacon will not save you! Not while I possess the power to TEAR THIS WORLD APART!" Megatron vowed.

* * *

Optimus and Smokescreen walked through the GroundBridge. Slowly. Painfully. When Optimus walked through, Ratchet immediately guided him away. Smokescreen followed with sadness written all over his face for everyone to see. What just happened was beginning to take its toll on him. Everyone noticed this. But they didn't know what had happened.

"Smokescreen!" Bulkhead exclaimed in surprise.

"And Omega Key number 1," Smokescreen added as he held up the key to prove his point.

"But…how?" Arcee demanded, "I saw you!"

"I, er…decided to borrow the phase shifter," Smokescreen muttered, holding up his wrist to show them.

"Again?!" Ratchet exclaimed in anger after he finished scanning Optimus' latest scratch.

"Good thing too. The wave from the blast hit me like a wrecking ball. The impact must have activated the shifter. I don't know how long I must have been unconscious. But when I came outside, something horrible had happened," Smokescreen chose his next words carefully, choosing to let Optimus tell everyone for themselves, "But Optimus was pissed at Megatron. And I mean pissed. I waited for the right moment to make my move."

"You're learning," Arcee complimented.

"So can I keep it?" Smokescreen asked, "It really is working out for me."

"Yes, yes," Ratchet muttered before looking around the room, "Wait. Where's Talida?"

That caused everyone to freeze momentarily before looking around. They couldn't believe that the techno-organic hadn't returned with Optimus and Smokescreen. They saw Optimus let out a shaky exhale and open his fist. They saw that he had been clutching his daughter's sword and locket close to his heart.

"So…I wasn't hallucinating!" Smokescreen gasped in horror, "She's really gone…"

"Gone?!" Arcee repeated in horror.

"What do you mean gone?!" Bulkhead demanded dangerously.

"**Was she captured?**" Bumblebee asked, praying that it wasn't what they were thinking.

"Megatron killed her," Optimus rumbled sadly.

"No! That can't be!" Ratchet protested as he immediately went for the computer, "You must have been hallucinating! She has to be alive!"

But when he saw the life signals, he immediately went quiet. He saw that Optimus', Arcee's, Bulkhead's, Bumblebee's and Smokescreen's were still thriving. But with Talida's…there wasn't even a weak signature. There was nothing. It resembled Optimus' signal while he was with Megatron so many months ago. But he knew she hadn't gone off grid.

"I…I can't find Talida's life signal," Ratchet trembled, "Excuse me."

With those words said, Ratchet stormed out of the room, unable to contain his emotions. Bumblebee, who was never afraid to express his emotions, knelt on the ground sobbing and wailing. Bulkhead, despite the lubricants running down his own cheeks, held the young scout close to his chest and tried to console him. Sobbing, Arcee raced out of the room towards the nursery, seeking comfort from her young son. Smokescreen slumped against the wall. He wanted to cry. But he couldn't.

What did make him cry was the way Optimus was. Void. Emotionless. While everyone was dealing with their own reactions to Talida's death, he made his way to the computers and resumed his work on the Iacon database. His optics stung, the burning sensation the evidence of the lubricants he wanted to shed. But he couldn't. He had to keep going. He would decode the final three coordinates. He would find the remaining Omega Keys. He would revive Cybertron.

For her.

* * *

"Lord Megatron!" Knock Out cried as he raced through the corridors to find his master on the bridge, "The troops found something on the wings of the Nemesis."

"Please let me be, Knock Out," Megatron pleaded, "Take whatever you found to Dreadwing."

"I think you will want to see this," Knock Out protested.

Deciding to amuse the medic, Megatron turned away from the large screen. When he did and Knock Out unveiled what was found, he gasped in disbelief.

It couldn't be…

"_I've put my trust in you…  
__Pushed as far as I can go…  
__For all this,  
__There's only one thing you should know…_

_I've put my trust in you!  
Pushed as far as I can go!  
For all this!  
__There's only one thing you should know…_

_I tried so hard!  
And got so far!  
But in the end,  
__It doesn't even matter…_

_I had to fall,  
__To lose it all!  
__But in the end,  
__It doesn't even matter…_"

* * *

**Me: Didn't see that coming, did ya? I had to rewrite the ending to suit everything I had planned.**

**There is something serious that I need to talk to you about. I had another look at the statistics of teenage suicide. Particularly for those who were the victim of bullying or part of the LGBT community. Once again, I was shocked and horrified by the statistics. They made me feel sick and disgusted. So I thought that I would, once again, try to raise awareness for this worthy cause.**

**I found this prompt in a friend's journal on deviantART. Naturally, I shared it and posted it as a journal myself. But I also wanted to post it on here.**

**So if you wanna kill yourself, imagine this:**

**You come home from school one day. You've had yet another horrible day. You're just ready to give up. So you go to your room, close the door, and take out that suicide note you've written and rewritten over and over and over. You take out those razor blades, and cut for the very last time. You grab that bottle of pills and take them all. Laying down, holding the letter to your chest, you close your eyes for the very last time.**

**Jack: A few hours later, your little brother knocks on your door to come to tell you dinners ready. You don't answer, so he walks in. All he sees is you lying on your bed, so he thinks you're asleep. He tells your mom this. Your mom goes to your room to wake you up. She notices something is odd. She grabs the paper in your hand and reads it. Sobbing, she tries to wake you up. She's screaming your name. Your brother, so confused, runs to go tell Dad that "Mommy is crying and sissy won't wake up."**

**Talida: Your dad runs to your room. He looks at your mom, crying, holding the letter to her chest, sitting next to your lifeless body. It hits him, what's going on, and he screams. He screams and throws something at the wall. And then, falling to his knees, he starts to cry. Your mom crawls over to him, and they sit there, holding each other, crying.**

**Miko: The next day at school, there's an announcement. The principal tells everyone about your suicide. It takes a few seconds for it to sink in, and once it does, everyone goes silent. Everyone blames themselves. Your teachers think they were too hard on you. Those mean popular girls, they think of all the things they've said to you. That boy that used to tease you and call you names, he can't help but hate himself for never telling you how beautiful you really are. Your ex-boyfriend, the one that you told everything to, that broke up with you… He can't hand it. He breaks down and starts crying, and runs out of the school. Your friends? They're sobbing too, wondering how they could never see that anything was wrong, wishing they could have helped you before it was too late. And your best friend? She's in shock. She can't believe it. She knew what you were going through, but she never thought it would get that bad… Bad enough for you to end it. She can't cry, she can't feel anything. She stands up, walks out of the classroom, and just sinks to the floor. Shaking, screaming, but no tears coming out.**

**Raf: It's a few days later, at your funeral. The whole town came. Everyone knew you, that girl with the bright smile and bubbly personality. The one that was always there for them, the shoulder to cry on. Lots of people talk about all the good memories they had with you, there were a lot. Everyone's crying, your little brother still doesn't know you killed yourself, he's too young. Your parents just said you died. It hurts him, a lot. You were his big sister, you were supposed to always be there for him. Your best friend, she stays strong through the entire service, but as soon as they start lowering your casket into the ground, she just loses it. She cries and cries and doesn't stop for days.**

**June: It's two years later. Most of the kids from school go to a counselor/therapist at least once a week. Your teachers all quit their job. Those mean girls have eating disorders now. That boy that used to tease you cuts himself. Your ex-boyfriend doesn't know how to love anymore and just sleeps around with girls. Your friends all go into depression. Your best friend? She tried to kill herself. She didn't succeed like you did, but she tried… Your brother? He finally found out the truth about your death. He self harms, he cries at night, he does what you did for years leading up to your suicide. Your parents? Their marriage fell apart. Your dad became a workaholic to distract himself from your death. Your mom got diagnosed with depression and just lays in bed all day.**

**Fowler: People care. You may not think so. But they do. Your choices don't just affect you. They affect everyone. Don't end your life, you have so much to live for. Things can't get better if you give up. I'm here for absolutely anyone that needs to talk, no matter who you are. Even if we've NEVER talked before, I'm here for you. It hurts. Things do eventually get better. Don't give up.**

**Me: In the United States, there are a lot of factors that cause teenage suicide. Sometimes, there's a combination of them. They include trauma, loss, domestic violence and bullying among others. So please. Don't be a bystander. Help them.**

**I know September is five months away. But I want you to think about this. Every week in September, the United States promotes a weeklong campaign that promotes suicide prevention and the warning signs of suicide. It's called the National Suicide Prevention Week. Each year, they hold this week to correspond with World Suicide Prevention Day on the 10****th**** of September. This year, NSPW begins on Sunday September 8 and ends on Saturday September 14. Please raise awareness and do something. Because being a bystander can make you feel as bad as the enemy.**

**Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can move on to this. No promo this time. For one thing, I spent too long on the suicide awareness (not that I don't regret it). And second of all, I'm not doing Hard Knocks next. I'm doing an original chapter about everyone dealing with what happened.**

**Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. You guys know what to do.**

**BYE!**


	21. Hear You Me

**Can I just put it out there that I love the song **_**Hear You Me**_** by Jimmy Eat World?! It's one of my favourite songs and being able to use one of my favourite songs in one of my stories is an amazing feeling! Anyone else have that feeling?**

**I would have used **_**Angels on the Moon**_** by Thriving Ivory for this chapter. But I've already used the song in the chapter of **_**Strange Beginnings**_** where Optimus and Arcee finally tell Talida the truth. It would've been strange to use it here. So…I went with Hear You Me.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**storygirl99210: You never know with me.**

**AlphaTrion3145: Yeah. Patch kinda freaks me out. But I DID say before I did that trailer for Fading Suns that it went with I was thinking at the time and that nothing was definite! I've got multiple twists up my sleeve… ;)**

**Autobot StarRacer:****I'm glad that helped you. I feel as though it's something that's not given enough awareness honestly. And…you've known me for how long now? Wait. Don't answer that. I almost fear that answer! :P**

**Awesomo3000: The deal is that I have a few tricks up my sleeve and you're gonna have to wait and see to find out.**

**tfp-fan: I've got a few hidden agendas.**

**dx-1118: You're from Australia?! SO AM I! I just keep on using the American statistics because that's all I can find!**

**ALL OUT TOMBOY: I have a few twists. Just wait.**

**Guest: I always update.**

**lancepm: (to all reviews) Again. Limit your reviews!**

**AllSparkPrincess: You never know with me.**

**haloangel21: With that message, I felt that everyone needed to hear it. And…here are some tissues for you. *****hands them over*******

**lmp21dragonhand: Chill, dude. No fighting in my reviews!**

**Ninjabot01: I'm not sure if I was aiming to make everyone cry or if I should be handing out tissues…**

**Miko873: THANKS!  
**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: Please feel free to PM me what you think I have done.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: Seriously. Did anyone see this coming?!**

**Optimus' girl: (to all reviews) There are times where you're posting the same thing multiple times. So if I were you, I'd try to limit your reviews. And…OH MY PRIMUS! THAT EPISODE WAS TOTALLY WORTH THE WAIT! Also, Arcee isn't Talida's biological mother. June is. Arcee's her stepmother. She's just more of a mother to Arcee than June is (which isn't surprising).**

**Tellingitlikeitis1541: Again, it was something everyone needed to hear. Very little is done about bullying and suicide prevention nowadays. Everybody's all talk and no action and it makes me feel sick.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me.**

_**Hear You Me**_** rightfully belongs to Jimmy Eat World and Dreamworks Records.**

**Also! Imagine that Jack is singing this rather than Jimmy Eat World and Talida is singing the harmony with him! It would sound really cool! Please. Just humor me!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

The following day after Talida's death, they knew they had to tell the others. They knew they had to tell Jack, Miko, Raf, June and Fowler of her passing. Neither of the Autobots liked having to tell them – mostly because it meant having to accept the harsh reality – but they knew they had a right to know. Talida considered them her family as well. So it wouldn't be fair for them.

The remaining Autobots divided when they finally decided to tell everyone else. Optimus wanted to be the one to tell Fowler of the news, so he went to his office. Bumblebee decided he should be the one to tell his son of his mother's passing. So he went to the new residence of Raf's family to deliver the upsetting news. Bulkhead decided that since he's her guardian, he should be the one to tell Miko. Without a moment's hesitation, he made the drive to her host parent's house. Arcee had decided to remain at base to console Cayden over his sister's death. Everyone understood this due to the fact that when he figured out what was going on, he refused to be separated from his mother even for a single second. Smokescreen, having formed a bond with both Jack and Talida, decided that if Jack wasn't able to hear of Talida's death from Arcee, he should hear it from him. Ratchet, in the end, decided to tell June about Talida's death (mostly because he was the only Autobot left and Arcee couldn't leave Cayden in his care like this).

Neither of them took it well. It was to be expected, considering how close they were. But…they didn't expect this.

Fowler found himself collapsing in pure shock, his legs no longer able to support him, after Optimus told him what had happened between Talida and Megatron the previous night. He landed on the edge of his office chair, causing it to flip onto him and his backside to land on the hard, cold, rough carpet on the floor instead of his seat. Continuously, he kept shaking his head, refusing to believe that the young woman who was supposed to become his stepdaughter was dead.

June's reaction was to be expected. She was a mother who had lost her child. Ratchet was fortunate that he had requested a private space to tell her the news. For June began wailing and sobbing and murmuring that it should be her going first, not her daughter. Despite Ratchet's uncharacteristic attempts to console the young mother, nothing could be done. Ratchet was also unable to console her due to his own sadness.

Bulkhead was silently thankful that Miko's host parents had gone out for the day. At first, when he told her the news, she didn't say anything. She remained frozen. Then she unleashed. She started screaming in anger, sadness and disbelief and repeatedly punching at Bulkhead's broad holoform chest, tears streaming down her cheeks as she pleaded her guardian to tell her it wasn't true. Pleading him to do the impossible and bring her best friend back to her. Bulkhead remained silent. He simply grabbed her small fists to stop her from bruising his chest. Eventually, Miko couldn't find the strength to stand and punch him anymore. Clinging to Bulkhead, she collapsed to the ground; the only sounds coming from her mouth were her broken sobs. Bulkhead went down with her and held her to his chest, rocking her back and forth and trying to comport her due to his tears.

Bumblebee had decided to take Raf to the desert to tell him the news, considering he didn't want to risk the Esquivels finding out about their existence. When he learned the news, Raf refused to believe it. He couldn't believe it. Burning tears leaked from his eyes down his cheeks as Raf shook his head. Repeatedly, he would say 'you're lying', 'she's still alive' or 'I want my mum!' Repeatedly, Bumblebee would say 'I'm sorry' and join Raf in his grieving.

Jack, however, was the worst of them all. Desperately, he tried to feel through the bond he held with Talida that began during the Unicron incident that she was still alive and Smokescreen was just playing a sick, twisted practical joke on him. When he felt nothing through the strong connection, he realized that what Smokescreen was telling him the truth. He slumped against the wall, head in his hands, and began sobbing freely. Smokescreen sat down next to him and cried as well.

The events of the last 24 hours were taking its toll on them.

_There's no one in town I know.  
__You gave us some place to go.  
__I never said thank you for that.  
__I thought I might get one more chance._

Fowler remained in his office. He had put out a request that unless it was absolutely necessary, he was not to be disturbed by anyone. Not even his superiors. He found the strength to sit in his office chair. But after that, he couldn't do much. Just sit there and stare at a photo.

It was a photo that was taken of him and Talida by Optimus after their meeting with General Bryce. True to his word, after Talida had punched the General – the punch having broken the General's nose and knocked a few teeth loose – he insisted on going to the local ice cream stand and buying her an ice cream cone. She had gotten a chocolate cone while he had gotten vanilla. They couldn't stop laughing that day. It was mostly because she jokingly made him slam his ice cream into his face.

"You would have made an amazing daughter," Fowler whispered.

_What would you think of me now?  
So lucky, so strong, so proud?  
I never said thank you for that.  
__Now I'll never have a chance._

June was forced by the hospital to take some time off for personal reasons. Unable to bring herself to go home to Jack, she instead went for a long drive. Driving until she reached the desert, she wanted to start crying all over again. She couldn't. Her throat was burning like a wildfire and she had no tears left. Actually, she felt nothing. Even as she glanced at the photo of Talida on her dashboard.

It was a photo of one of the days she was able to spend some alone time with her. Talida had begun…_developing_ at the age of 10 so June decided to take her shopping and help her pick all of the right _stuff_ she would need later in her life. The two enjoyed their time together at the local shopping centre which consisted of June embarrassing her daughter (who didn't know at the time) with the shops they went to and being able to enjoy a nice relaxing lunch together at the café. One thing Talida had told her was this:

"_I wish we could do this more often._"

"Me too, Talida," June whispered, as though she was talking to a 10-year-old Talida again, "Me to…"

_May angels lead you in…  
__Hear you me, my friends…  
__On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
__May angels lead you in…_

Jack had asked Smokescreen to leave to help Arcee through everything before he locked himself in his bedroom and cried until he, like his mother, had no more tears left. When there were no more tears left, he just sat on his bed with his acoustic guitar. There was nothing special about this guitar to the naked eye. It was bought at a secondhand store and it just happened to be in good condition. But to Jack, the guitar was special because Talida had spent ¾ of her allowance to buy it for him for his 13th birthday.

He remembered when he played to her the first song he had ever learned. They sat on his bed and they played and sang together with Talida singing the harmony. When they had finished, she just gave him a tearful smile and hugged him and whispered to him how much she loved him.

"_You are the greatest friend in the world. I love you, Jack._"

"I love you too, Lida," Jack whispered, "I always will."

With shaky hands, he picked up his guitar and tuned it to the best of his ability. When he was done, he begun strumming the familiar chords and singing. He imagined that Talida was sitting next to him again, that they were singing together and harmonizing perfectly. Then he would smile and laugh as Talida danced around the room to a song they would hear on the radio.

There was nothing he wouldn't give to have that back.

_So what would you think of me now?  
__So lucky, so strong, so proud?  
__I never said thank you for that.  
__Now I'll never have the chance._

Miko had requested Bulkhead to take her to the sand dunes that surround the base. Bulkhead, not finding the emotional strength to deny her request, took her there. The first thing she did was travel to the hill Talida went tobogganing down when she discovered that Arcee had returned to Earth with Cliffjumper after four years.

They also had their own memories there. Mostly thanks to her influence, Talida had begun tobogganing again in secret. One day after school, they went down this hill. Fortunately for them, Talida didn't break her wrist this time. They had the time of their lives. Talking and laughing and tobogganing. When the sun began to set, they climbed to the top of the hill. They talked about everything they would do together in the future.

"_We'll always be friends, won't we?_" Talida had asked her that day.

"_What kind of a question is that?_" Miko had retorted back then, "_Even death won't tear us apart!_"

"_Got that right!_"

"I'll never forget you," Miko whimpered as she found herself surrendering to her tears once again.

_May angels lead you in…  
__Hear you me, my friends…  
__On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
__May angels lead you in…_

As soon as Bumblebee had dropped Raf back home to his 'family', he felt the feeling of loneliness he used to feel before discovering Team Prime come back. Suddenly, it seemed as though his family treated him the same way they did before. They went back to not caring about what upset him. Not caring about his day. Not caring about him in general.

Eventually, Raf hid out in his room, unable to take the harsh teasing from his siblings. He went onto his laptop and went through his multiple files. Each of them consisted of his favourite memories of his times with Team Prime. Mostly, they consisted of moments he and Talida said. The two of them had spent more time together since the true of Raf's parentage came out among the group. They would go to the park, the movies; they did virtually everything together.

"Why'd you have to leave me, mummy?" Raf whimpered before crying again.

He had cried himself to sleep. The worst part was: none of the people he lived with bothered to _notice_, let alone _care_.

_May angels lead you in…_

Arcee could hardly contain it as she rocked Cayden back and forth in her arms. She was physically unable to hold back her tears, allowing them to fall freely. Sobs accompanied her tears as she leant against the wall, freeing her emotions. She hadn't cried like this since she had told Optimus about Shanahan's death. There hadn't been a reason to cry like this until Talida's death last night.

What saddened her more was Cayden's reaction. He only just began crawling. Despite being several months old, he could only talk in coos, clicks and whirrs. He was also still to take his first steps. But he understood what was happening. Whenever he found a photo of Talida, he would become inconsolable and refused to be separated from either of his parents, fearing they would leave him as well. Whenever Optimus couldn't be with him, he had to be with Arcee and vice versa.

A lone datapad was lying next to her on the ground. Curious, Arcee picked it up. She activated it and found burning lubricants blocking her vision once again. The datapad contained a photo of Arcee and Talida when she was eight years old. It was six months before her ninth birthday and nine months before she had left. Talida had decided they should go into something called a photo booth. All they did was pull funny faces, laugh and do random things. But the last photo was her favourite. Arcee had pulled Talida into her lap and kissed her cheek. It was a mother/daughter photo that the two of them loved.

"I'm so sorry, Tally," Arcee whispered.

_May angels lead you in…_

"ARGH!"

Now that Ratchet was finally alone, he was finally able to set his emotions free. His way of release was grabbing his trusty wrench and throwing it around the command centre. He almost relished the sounds of his wrench colliding with the wall and some of his equipment. He knew he would regret it later. But right now, he couldn't care less.

As he went to throw the wrench one more time, he stopped. He saw the very same tool that Talida was forced to destroy when Megatron occupied her mind. Choking once again, he walked towards it, dropping his wrench to the ground. With trembling servos, he picked up the device and caressed it in his hands. When he walked in and saw Talida had destroyed it, like always, he was mad. Something he hated was when one of the Autobots destroyed his equipment. Then she explained to him how she was having visions of Megatron in her mind. He forgave her instantly.

But to this day, he still thought of himself as an idiot for not realizing something sooner.

"I may have needed this," Ratchet whispered, "But not more than I need you…"

_May angels lead you in…_

Very much like Ratchet did, Bulkhead unleashed his anger through destruction. Using his wrecking ball, he destroyed multiple targets in the training room. Throughout the war, he had used his weapons to unleash his anger over the death of his teammates and loved ones. But never in the battlefield like Arcee. Instead, he unleashed it in the training room where he couldn't hurt anyone.

Eventually, he lost his strength and fell to his knees, his entire body trembling. Sobs were clogging his throat and lubricant was burning in the back of his optics. This was something he found strange as he thought he had cried all of his tears. His mind flashed a memory to him. One memory that he held dear to him. Despite him being the laughing stock that day.

It was when Talida was five years old. They had decided to take her to an abandoned town to spend time together outside the base. Bulkhead had transformed…without realizing he had parked underneath power lines. As soon as his body came in contact with the power lines, he was electrocuted. He started screaming in pain and dancing around the town. It had been worth it in the end. Because Talida couldn't stop laughing at him to the point where she suffered an asthma attack. Her laughter was contagious so naturally, everyone, even Ratchet and Optimus, laughed at his expense.

"What I wouldn't give to hear your laugh again," Bulkhead murmured.

_May angels lead you in…_

Screaming in anger, Smokescreen drove through the desert at high speeds. Occasionally, he would do donuts and fishtails in the bright, burning sand. Despite only being on Earth for a few weeks, he felt like he knew her for years. Talida was his first friend on Earth and the two had grown significantly close. Watching it all end by Megatron slicing her into nothing made him feel hollow.

He wished he could have been there sooner. He wished he could have stopped it. There were so many things he wished for involving the battle with Megatron. However, he knew that none of them were going to evolve due to his bad luck. When his parents died, no one helped him through his grieving and acceptance. No one said anything to him other than, 'Everything happens for a reason.' Something Smokescreen struggled to see was a reason behind everything. Talida's death was no exception.

He couldn't understand why the young girl – so strong, full of life, beautiful and brave – could be taken away from them without leaving her mark on this world. What had she done to deserve a brutal death?

"Why did you have to die?!" Smokescreen roared in anger, his voice hoarse from the crying and screaming, "Why did you have to leave?!"

_And if you were with me tonight,  
__I'd sing to you just one more time.  
__A song for a heart so big,  
__God wouldn't let it live._

As the youngest, Bumblebee was never afraid to show his emotions to everyone. Especially when there was a situation Talida somehow found herself involved in. Her death was no exception.

He had hidden away in his quarters when he returned from telling Raf the news. In his hands, he held close to his chassis a box of memories from his lifetime. Everything significant to him was put in the box. Gifts from Optimus and Arcee. Medals from the war. Pictures of his life on Earth.

But there were two items that touched him the most. Two plain gold bands. Before Smokescreen's arrival, Bumblebee and Talida were talking about approaching Optimus and asking him to marry them earlier than planned. Something they knew was that there were chances of returning in a body bag. Ratchet can't always heal them. They even went ahead and planned everything.

"I wish I had gotten the courage to marry you sooner," Bumblebee whirred sadly.

He didn't come out of his quarters for the rest of the day.

_May angels lead you in…  
__Hear you me, my friends…  
__On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
__May angels lead you in…_

The first place Optimus went to after telling Fowler was Shanahan's grave. Trembling, he transformed into his bipedal mode and walked to the small grave. This would be the place the Autobots would be erecting a grave for Talida. Fowler and Optimus have come up with a small scheme to keep it hidden for a while. Mostly because they were still hoping that she would come back as usual.

They would file a missing persons report and leave it that way for some time. Then three months later, Fowler would make an announcement saying that her body was found buried in a shallow grave near Mount Charleston in Las Vegas. They would say that she was kidnapped while taking a midnight stroll by a human trafficking ring and she was killed for fighting against a 'customer'.

Unable to hold it in anymore, Optimus fell onto his knees and cried freely. Throughout the night, he had to remain strong for the sake of his teammates. Even while he was alone with his family, he couldn't fall apart like he was now. Now, all by himself by Shanahan's grave, he was free to release his emotions. Reaching into his chassis, he grasped her locket and sword; two treasures he would carry with him remember.

They would serve to be a reminder to him. A reminder of her bravery. A reminder of her passion for life and her willingness to fight for what was right. A reminder of the love she held for her father.

But it would also serve to be a torment. A torment of how he failed to save her. How he couldn't find the strength to fight the invisible force and take her away. How he couldn't reach her fast enough and sacrifice his own life to save hers. How he had failed her as a father.

"I'm so sorry, sweetspark," Optimus wailed, "I am so sorry…"

_May angels lead you in…  
__Hear you me, my friends…  
__On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
__May angels lead you in…_

"I trust everything is going according to plan?" Megatron inquired as he walked into the laboratory.

"Perfectly, my liege," Knock Out smiled sadistically as he bowed to Megatron, "Project Aeon is proceeding as expected."

"Perfect," Megatron shared the same sadistic smile as he looked at the files Knock Out had opened, "Continue as scheduled."

"Of course, Lord Megatron," Knock Out nodded as Megatron left.

Glancing at the doors into the next room, his smile grew wider. He was going to enjoy this.

_On sleepless roads the sleepless go.  
__May angels lead you in…_

* * *

**The summary for the next episode is…**

**As the race grows more desperate, Knock Out harnesses the power of sound while Starscream gains the power of hyper speed.**

**And as usual, here's the promo…**

* * *

_Optimus: The next Iacon relics have been decoded._

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Smokescreen: The last one to the Omega Key has to scrub the Energon Tanks for a week!_

_Arcee: Didn't know we were keeping score._

_**Show Knock Out with the Resonance Blaster**_

_**Show Arcee and Bumblebee preparing to fight**_

_**Show Arcee being knocked down by the Resonance Blaster**_

_**Show Knock Out firing the Resonance Blaster into the ground**_

_**Show Bumblebee being blindsided by the Resonance Blaster**_

_**Show Laserbeak attacking Smokescreen on the road at night**_

_**Show Dreadwing transforming and flying between Bulkhead and Smokescreen**_

_Bulkhead: We gotta get out of here! NOW!_

_**Show Bulkhead and Smokescreen racing through an exploding forest**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**You guys know what to do if you want more! Review! Fave! Alert! Whatever!**

**BYE!**


	22. Hard Knocks

**Is anyone still reeling from Alpha/Omega? If so…then my job is complete…**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_*****__**Sigh**__*** So many guesses… Talida brainwashed by the cons?**_

_**The Mandarin: Also, my master is creating a OC Femme Sparkling. Now, does Blue Bee sound like a great name?**_

**That's an amazing name!**

**haloangel21: **_**I'll admit. Talida being out of this chapter and for who knows how long is quite sad. I miss her. You must put her back where she belongs.**_

_**Oh, today's episode of "Rebellion" was just so EPIC.**_

**I know, right?!**

**Bee4ever: **_**Such a sad chappie. ***__**grabs tissues and blows nose loudly**__*** :'(**_

**Need some more tissues?**

**Awesomo3000: **_**This chapter made me cry, no joke! Poor Autobots and humans! It's so sad! I was hoping to see Talida's reaction in Inside Job when she sees her dad lose his cool for the first time. **__** I hope she comes back before the end of the story! It's called Talida Prime: Rising Storms for a reason!  
**_

_**And what's Project Aeon? I really don't like that smirk on Bucket-head's face! PLEASE update when you can!**_

**With Project Aeon, that's for me to know and the rest of you to find out. ;)**

**tfp-fan: **_**tfp-fan:*sniffs* I know she's sure to come back, but WHY, TALIDA, WHHHHYYY? D,'X**_

_**And what's this Project Aeon? Oh, Primus, please don't let him revive Talida as a brainwashed zombie and make her join the Cons! Or… something, I dunno.**_

**You may never know with me.**

**devildog452: **_**Talida is still alive right?**_

**Not gonna answer that one.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**I still say things will be ok. Please update!**_

**Again, you may never know with me.**

**dx-1118: **_**Man, that was an emotional roller-coaster and a half. How can the Autobots possibly have the heart to go on after this? And how will everyone's relationships suffer as a result? And what is Project Aeon?  
**__**Thank you as always for replying to my reviews. Yes I am Australian, as a matter of fact I live in Sydney.  
**__**Anyway, best of luck with the rest of this story, can't wait to see how it all turns out.**_

**I was born in Sydney! But now, I live in Brisbane. Not big on the education system there.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**There's always more to something than meets the eye.**_

**What's so sad about that saying is how true it is.**

**Guest: **_**I was almost in tears.**_

**I'll admit. I got all misty-eyed when I wrote that chapter.**

**storygirl99210: **_**Great! Now you made me cry! Why do I have a bad feeling about Project Aeon?**_

**Because Project Aeon is a Decepticon project?**

**Ninjabot01: **_**I got a feeling that Talida is on the nemesis and is the project Aeon am I right**_

**Read the chapter to find out. Because Project Aeon will be partially unveiled.**

© _**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© All OCs that appear in this story rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**My December**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**Also, I'm process of creating the new baby that's either going to be born to either of the females in the series (except June, of course). I can tell you this: it's going to be a bouncing baby girl. It's going to be a premature birth to see how her parents will handle it and add to how the mother will nearly die. And…when Regeneration and Darkest Hour happen, that character is going to be four weeks pregnant. Here's everything I need help with: WHO'S gonna be pregnant and WHAT the baby's name is going to be.**

**As for the mother, I've just created that will be open when this chapter's done. So I want you to go on there and vote. It's going to be a lot like the poll for **_**Strange Beginnings**_**. I will only accept the votes on that poll and I will close the poll before I go to write Regeneration. So you have until then to vote. Plus side for you: school's back for me so you'll have a LONG time to vote for who should be expecting a baby girl.**

**I'm holding a little contest for the name of the new character! I want y'all to PM me (so no one steals your ideas if you end up deciding them later if I don't pick it) what you think will be the perfect name for this new character.**

**They have to be either female or unisex names. You can either suggest a name you've seen somewhere or create one of your own. With the PM, you have to include the name you chose, the meaning of the name if there is one and why you think it would be the perfect name for my new OC.**

**You have until June 15 to enter the contest and the winner will be announced at the end of the story along with the name chosen. If I end up choosing a name that has been suggested multiple times, the author who suggested the name first will be announced the winner.**

**The winner will have my permission to use Talida in any **_**Transformers: Prime**_** story that they wish (as long as they state she's mine).**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_This is my December.  
__This is my time of the year.  
__This is my December.  
__This is all so clear…_

_This is my December.  
__This is my snow-covered home.  
__This is my December.  
__This is me alone…_

_And I…  
__(Just wish that I didn't feel  
__Like there was something I missed.)_

_And I…  
__(Take back all the things that I said  
__To make you feel like that.)_

_And I…  
__(Just wish that I didn't feel  
__Like there was something I missed.)_

_And I…  
__(Take back all the things that I said to you.)_

_And I'd give it all away…  
__Just to have somewhere to go to.  
__Give it all away…  
__Just to have someone to come home to._"

_**Previously on Transformers Prime…**_

"_It is paramount that we recover the final four Iacon relics," Optimus announced, "The Omega Keys."_

"_Keys?" Arcee repeated in confusion._

"_To what?" Ratchet demanded._

"_To the regeneration of Cybertron," Talida answered._

"_A tomb!" Dreadwing gasped._

_"One known to contain the remains of Primes," Megatron piped in before proclaiming as he wielded the Forge of Solus Prime after having his hand replaced with the hand of the Prime he had stolen, "At long last, the Power of the Primes belongs to me!"_

_"Four sets of coordinates from Alpha Trion remain encrypted. It is logical to conclude that each coordinates correspond to the location of the Omega Keys," Optimus said._

"_My first creation – fashioned from the very blood of Unicron! I call it the Dark Star Saber!" Megatron boasted before saying to Talida, "I never wanted things between us to end this way. But you have left me no other option!"_

_"NO!" Talida screamed as she was sliced in half by Megatron's sword and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke._

"_NO! NO! TALIDA!" Optimus roared._

"_The relic!" Megatron requested as he rested his sword on Optimus' shoulder after using his Dark Star Saber to force the Star Saber to shatter like glass._

_"Oh, you mean this?!" Smokescreen smirked as he held up the Omega Key teasingly for Megatron to see and to taunt him with, "Finders keepers!"_

"_I…I can't find Talida's life signal," Ratchet trembled._

"_Lord Megatron! The troops found something on the wings of the Nemesis!" Knock Out announced after he raced through the halls desperately to find his master with his finding._

_"Please let me be, Knock Out. Take whatever you found to Dreadwing," Megatron desperately pleaded his medic, still reeling from the events which resulted in him having to kill his niece._

_"I think you will want to see this," Knock Out protested as he unveiled his finding by removing the sheet, causing Megatron to gasp in disbelief._

_It couldn't be…_

"You should have seen Optimus Prime's face after his Star Saber shattered like glass and with it, his dreams of an Autobot victory! That is, of course, after the unfortunate demise of my dear niece! Granted, Optimus will be more determined than ever to discover the remaining locations of the Iacon relics before we can!" Megatron pointed out before noticing Soundwave's most recent accomplishment, "Ah, very good. I see you have decoded the next set of coordinates!"

"Way to step things up, Soundwave!" Knock Out complimented as he walked onto the bridge, "I do hope this Iacon relic is something less sacred and more profane. Like an Electro Disrupter Cannon. We could use one of those."

"Indeed, Knock Out. Dreadwing, report to the bridge immediately!" Megatron instructed.

"Please, Lord Megatron! Allow me the honor of retrieving this relic for you!" Knock Out pleaded.

"I'm surprised you would risk your finish so soon after your accident!" Megatron fake gasped, offending the medic, "Besides, you should focus your attention on Project Aeon! And I remain unconvinced that you are the best choice for the task since you failed to secure the phase shifter!"

"I lacked the proper tools," Knock Out grumbled before holding up the Resonance Blaster, "But since Soundwave's currently occupied, I can't imagine he'll mind if I borrow this so I might better secure your prize and heap some hurt on the Autobots."

"But first, indulge me, Knock Out. What is the current progress of Project Aeon?" Megatron inquired.

"Continuing as expected, Lord Megatron. The subject is responding well to the experimentations I perform on it," Knock Out answered with a smirk.

Megatron smirked. That was good news.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME  
**_

"_This is my December.  
__These are my snow-covered trees.  
__This is me pretending,  
__This is all I need…_

_And I…  
__(Just wish that I didn't feel  
__Like there was something I missed.)_

_And I…  
__(Take back all the things that I said,  
__To make you feel like that.)_

_And I…  
__(Just wish that I didn't feel  
__Like there was something I missed.)_

_And I…  
__(Take back all the things I said to you.)_

_And I'd give it all away…  
__Just to have somewhere to go to.  
__Give it all away…  
__To have someone to come home to._"

In the four days following since Talida's death, the atmosphere has changed. Even with Cayden around, it seemed darker and more intense and angrier. Everyone has changed. Optimus would focus his energy on the Iacon database. Smokescreen was slipping back into his old self: more of a solo artist and cockier. Arcee was almost the same way she was when Cliffjumper was murdered. Bumblebee's sullen, Bulkhead's…no one really knew how he was due to his ability to bottle up his emotions, Ratchet's grouchier; it's all different.

"I'm gonna be a great warrior someday. Like Optimus," Smokescreen vowed.

"Well, train harder and gain some wisdom along the way and I'm sure it'll happen," Bulkhead shrugged.

"Oh, it will! It's my destiny!" Smokescreen boasted.

"How so?" Arcee inquired.

"Well, one minute I'm on security detail at Iacon. The next, I wake up on the other side of the galaxy to find myself under Optimus' command! I mean, what are the chances, right?! Things happen for a reason!" Smokescreen proclaimed.

"**Like Talida being killed?!**" Bumblebee bleeped angrily, causing Smokescreen to tense uncomfortably.

"Yeah… That…," Smokescreen muttered sadly. It was clear that he, like everyone else, was still in shock over Talida's death.

"We get it, Smokescreen. You're special. We're lucky to have you," Arcee muttered with fake enthusiasm.

"All I'm really saying is I've come a long way. This is one opportunity I don't plan on messing up," Smokescreen swore.

"Autobots, the next Iacon coordinates have been decoded," Optimus announced, "Ratchet! Ready the GroundBridge!"

"Last one to the Omega Key has to scrub the Energon Tanks for a week!" Smokescreen challenged as he raced towards the GroundBridge.

"Didn't know we were keeping score," Arcee grumbled.

"Arcee, Bumblebee, prepare to roll out," Optimus instructed, causing Smokescreen to deflate.

"Wait. What about me?!" Smokescreen protested, causing Bulkhead to clear his throat, "I mean, me and Bulkhead!"

"The two of you will remain here in the event I am able to decode a subsequent entry before the others return," Optimus decided before resuming his work.

"Optimus is right. Considering the very fate of Cybertron is at stake, response time is critical," Ratchet piped in before activating the GroundBridge.

"Keep your engines idling, kid," Arcee suggested before turning to Bumblebee, "Come on, Bee. Destiny awaits."

"We call it a pit stop," Bulkhead clarified as he hit Smokescreen in the back hard enough to nearly knock him to the floor, "We'll get back in the race."

* * *

Upon arrival, Arcee and Bumblebee were quick to take a quick first glance of the area. Not only for signs of the second Omega Key. But for signs of human population. They found that the area was deserted and had been for some time. Within moments, Arcee was able to spot the relic.

"Over there," Arcee spotted.

The fact that the Omega Key was unearthed and the lid of its containment unit had been removed to make the second key visible to everyone nearby should have surprised Arcee and Bumblebee. But that wasn't what surprised them in the end.

Knock Out's presence, on the other hand, was the factor that caught them by surprise.

"Well, well, well. Just the Autobots I wanted to see," Knock Out smirked as he emerged from behind the boulder.

"I'll handle the mad doctor. You grab the key," Arcee instructed Bumblebee as they prepared to fight.

"I've been wanting to thank you both for the memories," Knock Out sneered.

As Arcee and Bumblebee went to attack, Knock Out turned the tides on them. Using the Resonance Blaster, he knocked Arcee to the ground by stunning her. When he heard her grunt and land on the ground in a harsh manner, Bumblebee stopped running towards Knock Out and the relic, turned around and looked back to check on the femme who had raised him after his parents were killed. This turned out to be a grave mistake as Knock Out turned the Resonance Blaster onto him and used its sonic waves to pin him against the nearby canyon wall.

"Who knew that sound waves could be a…KNOCK OUT?!" Knock Out smirked as he used the Resonance Blaster to pin Arcee to the wall as she went to attack him from behind, relishing in her screams of pain, "What's that, dear? I can't hear you!"

"BEE! THE RELIC!" Arcee cried through her pain.

Clutching his chest, Bumblebee freed himself from the dent in the canyon wall. Glancing at the Omega Key, he became determined to snatch it from Knock Out. This was something the medic didn't fail to notice.

"Scrap," Knock Out grumbled before turning around and seeing Arcee raced towards it as well, "Hmmm, how low can it go?"

Aiming the Resonance Blaster at the ground, he fired multiple times. His plan worked. As they approached the relic, Bumblebee and Arcee were knocked off their pedes and sent flying again.

"Double Warper or Death Charge?" Knock Out asked rhetorically.

When the dust had cleared, the Autobots found themselves in a situation. Bumblebee used whatever strength he had left to push the rocks off him. Moaning slightly, he rubbed his head, trying to relieve himself of the throbbing. Arcee approached the containment unit, limping and clutching her chassis. Unfortunately for the Autobots, Knock Out and the Omega Key were gone.

"Scrap!" Arcee cursed.

* * *

"It appears identical to the one taken from me by Optimus Prime," Megatron observed as he examined the key Knock Out had delivered to him upon his return, "Ahh… Perhaps it is a decoy the Autobots allowed you to seize as a means of sabotage."

"Unlikely, my liege! They battled too desperately for it!" Knock Out protested.

"Then pieces of a larger puzzle perhaps," Megatron mused before a series of bleeps disrupted his thoughts, "Excellent, Soundwave. With any luck, these coordinates will shed some light on the subject."

"Soundwave's on fire! And so am I!" Knock Out boasted as he unveiled the Resonance Blaster that was still resting on his arm.

"Keep your vanity in check, doctor," Megatron advised.

"Haven't I proven myself?!" Knock Out exclaimed in disbelief.

"Your scientific expertise remains of greater use to me analyzing our latest acquisition and focusing on Project Aeon. I must know what this relic is and what it can do and Project Aeon must be successful!" Megatron proclaimed.

* * *

When Arcee and Bumblebee arrived in the state they were in, Ratchet was worried. But he was more about Bumblebee than Arcee at the femme warrior's insistence. Bumblebee was the first of the two to enter the medical chamber. Arcee, Bulkhead, Smokescreen and Optimus could only watch on worriedly. Desperately, they prayed that Ratchet would become the bearer of good news. After losing Talida, they couldn't afford to lose another member of their cause.

"I'm sorry, Optimus. Knock Out was there waiting for us," Arcee apologized as Optimus rubbed her back in a comforting manner before she muttered darkly, "Seems the 'Cons have improved their decoding skills!"

"And it seems that with two keys already separated, no one seems to possess the means to revive Cybertron," Ratchet stated.

"While our quest to revive our planet has reached a stalemate, securing the remaining keys is still the prudent course of action," Optimus proclaimed.

"Man, it must have been crazy with Knock Out going all sonic!" Smokescreen remarked, "Man, I wish I was there! I would've-!"

"Would've what?!" Arcee cut in bitterly as Ratchet ran scans on her, "Recovered the key like you did the first one?!"

"Maybe. Who knows?" Smokescreen shrugged, "I just want us to be firing out all cylinders! You know, with the Star Saber gone! And I have a pretty good track record so far!"

That struck a nerve hidden deep within Arcee. Gritting in anger and clutching her injured arm, she stood up and walked away, frustration radiating from her body. Smokescreen stumbled backwards and watched her walk away, slight worry written in his optics. Secretly, he was just glad that he hadn't brought Talida's demise four days ago into the mix because Arcee wouldn't have just simply walked out of the room if he had. She would've given him a severe lashing. Both verbally and physically despite her currently injured state due to the pain she still felt involving her stepdaughter's murder.

"Look, kid. Arcee and Bumblebee are no slouches. And Optimus managed just fine for eons without that sword! Of course, you wouldn't know that. You've been locked in stasis the entire time we were fighting this war," Bulkhead pointed out.

"Exactly! And I'm ready to make up for lost time!" Smokescreen proclaimed.

"When Optimus says you're ready! You've gotta be in this for the long haul like Tally was!" Bulkhead told Smokescreen before reciting a human saying Talida used to tell him all the time as she grew up, "Slow and steady wins the race."

"But was she really in the long haul?" Smokescreen asked rhetorically, "How do you know that she wasn't bottling things up?! How do you know she wasn't happy fighting in this war?! That all she would ever wish for was a normal life?!"

"Of course she'd be wishing for a normal life! No kid would ever want the responsibilities she had to carry her entire existence! Being the incarnation of our Princess, daughter of the last remaining Prime, destined to become both a Prime AND Queen of Cybertron upon its revival! She never wanted this! Everyone knew that! But she kept on fighting because she also wanted justice!" Bulkhead snapped before saying, "Look. Optimus is suffering through hell. Losing your child is tough. Your eagerness is going to cost more lives than it will save!"

* * *

While the tension built in the Autobot base, Starscream had his own frustrations. He was currently in the process of refining the Red Energon he had gathered. Unfortunately for him, the Red Energon he had taken from the Autobots was taking a long time to refine and the supply that came out of it was a disappointment.

"Hurry up already!" Starscream snarled impatiently, "How is it possible that speed-enhancing Energon takes longer to process than regular Energon?!"

Then he heard a series of bleeps. They weren't reporting of ongoing Decepticon activity. Unfortunately for Starscream, it was to report that the small chunk of Red Energon had finished the refining process without even filling one-quarter of the jar.

"An entire chunk of Red Energon and this is all I get?!" Starscream announced in disbelief, "There's enough here for one dose! Maybe two!"

Another series of bleeps distracted Starscream from his small temper tantrum. This time, it was to bring good news to balance the bad news he had received. Humming curiously, Starscream took a glance at the Harbinger computer monitors.

"Decepticon movement," Starscream observed before picking up the vile of refined Red Energon, "While speed is hardly a suitable replacement for the might of the Apex Armor, it should provide me with enough of an edge to obtain a more…formidable relic…."

* * *

"The next coordinates are ready!" Optimus announced as he turned away from the monitors.

"There remains one set left to decode," Ratchet added as he activated the GroundBridge.

"On it, boss!" Bulkhead immediately volunteered himself for the task.

"I'm gonna bring back that key!" Smokescreen promised as he stepped forward, practicing his punches.

"Uh, Bulk? Forgetting something?" Arcee smirked as she held up the scanner. When Bulkhead came to grab it, she pulled him closer and whispered to him, "Make sure you keep an eye on 'Destiny's Child', OK?"

"Compared to watching Miko, piece of cake," Bulkhead shrugged as he walked away to join Smokescreen at the bridge.

Together, the two Autobots raced through the GroundBridge to the next set of coordinates. Arcee watched after them worriedly. She had no idea what was going to happen. But she knew with Smokescreen involved…

Something was bound to happen.

* * *

The coordinates Optimus managed to decode led Bulkhead and Smokescreen to a mountain forest on America's west coast. It closely resembled the forest where Arcee, Jack and Talida spotted Airachnid's crashed ship during their 'harmless' recon. The only differences were it appeared to be autumn there and there was no darkness and mist.

"Stay close. Stay focused," Bulkhead chided Smokescreen.

"Gotcha!" Smokescreen waved back uninterestedly.

"I mean it!" Bulkhead warned.

"Me too!" Smokescreen defended himself before he heard a series of beeping, "What is that?"

A loud crash caused the two of them to turn around and face a rocky cliff. As soon as they did, they saw a figure emerging from the trees and the blinding rays of the sunset.

It was Dreadwing.

"One of the last sounds you will ever here!" Dreadwing answered Smokescreen's question in his usual manner: his prayers for the Autobots' demise.

"Dreadwing," Bulkhead snarled before Dreadwing transformed into his jet mode and flew towards them, "Scrap!"

Bulkhead and Smokescreen were barely able to dive out of the way in time as Dreadwing flew past them. Without saying another word, Dreadwing took to the skies. But he necessarily didn't retreat the scene. He stayed in the general area.

Hearing the beeping again, Bulkhead and Smokescreen were quick to sit up. Upon first glance, they were confused. Where was that beeping coming from? Then Bulkhead turned to face a tree and he immediately saw it. A bomb was strapped to the trunk. And based on the sounds of the beeps, it was set to blow. To make matters worse, Dreadwing had planted a series of bombs in the trees around them.

"We've gotta get out of here! NOW!" Bulkhead cried as he dragged Smokescreen away.

As they ran away, the bombs began to detonate all around them. Trees fell down and fires broke out, threatening to block their path. When they reached the end of the hill, Smokescreen and Bulkhead jumped as the final bomb detonated.

The final bomb had caused them to lose control of their balance, causing them to tumble down the rocky terrain of the mountain forest. When they had reached the bottom, Dreadwing transformed into his bipedal mode and landed in front of them.

"Smoke, I'll handle Dreadwing! Go get the relic!" Bulkhead instructed as he tossed the scanner to him.

"You've got it," Smokescreen nodded as he ran off.

Dreadwing went to make chase. But Bulkhead's taunting had stopped him.

"You love watching your dirty work from a distance, don't you? Too bad you don't have the ball bearings to fight up close and personal!" Bulkhead snarled.

"In this particular case, I will be more than happy to make an exception!" Dreadwing proclaimed.

With a warrior's cry, Dreadwing jumped down from his trunk and went to strike Bulkhead, who swung at him with his wrecking ball. Both missed their initial attacks. But Dreadwing was able to plant one of his signature bombs on one of Bulkhead's small back struts. Bulkhead ignored the bomb strapped to his back for the timebeing as he continued his fight against the former Seeker Captain.

"An admirable effort. But you have obviously forgotten our last encounter ended!" Dreadwing smirked as he held up his remote and pressed the button to activate the bomb.

"No I didn't!" Bulkhead snarled.

To Dreadwing's horror, he realized that during their brief fight, Bulkhead had removed the bomb from his own back and planted it over Dreadwing's sword. Dreadwing was able to reach the bomb before it detonated and threw it into the air. The bomb detonated before either side could escape, taking them by surprise.

Bulkhead handled the shockwaves of the blast better than Dreadwing had. The former Wrecker was still standing whereas Dreadwing was knocked onto his back and unconscious.

"Smoke, I'm on my way!" Bulkhead reported into the commlink.

* * *

Smokescreen had left the scanner on a nearby rock and begun digging at the rock formation for the third Omega Key. Within a few moments, he had the containment unit unburied and the lid removed. When the key popped up, he didn't hesitate to take it.

"Destiny!" Smokescreen proclaimed once again.

Before he could blink, he was blindsided and blindsided hard. The blow was hard enough for Smokescreen to fall to the ground unconscious, causing him to lose possession of the key.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious. But he knew that as he came to, Bulkhead was kneeling over him and shaking him by the shoulders hard.

"Smokescreen! Wake up!" Bulkhead called as Smokescreen began opening his eyes.

"What happened?" Smokescreen immediately asked.

"That's what I wanna know," Bulkhead sighed as he pulled the young warrior to his feet.

"The Omega Key!" Smokescreen cried as he immediately looked around, noticing that it was gone, "I had it! Until…something hit me from behind!"

"Dreadwing must have had backup," Bulkhead growled, "That relic's long gone! Ratchet, we need a bridge!"

"I…I told Optimus I would bring back the key," Smokescreen stuttered in sadness, already beginning to blame himself.

"Listen, kid. Alpha Trion said we needed all four keys to restore Cybertron, remember?" Bulkhead reminded him as he guided the defeated Smokescreen towards the open GroundBridge portal and into the base, "We just need to hang on to the one we have and to find a way to get the remaining ones back from Megatron."

What neither Autobot failed to know was that Starscream was standing on a rocky cliff with the Omega Key in his possession and he overheard the whole thing.

"The promise of a new Cybertron…in the palm in my hand! When I obtain all four…," Starscream trailed off as he sped away…

Taking the hopes of Cybertron's future with him.

* * *

"Smokescreen was sucker punched. Could have happened to any of us," Bulkhead said to the others once they returned to base and explained what had happened.

"But it didn't! Because I was the one who dropped his guard! I was the one who blew it! Some great warrior I'm turning out to be!" Smokescreen grumbled.

"You still don't get it, do you?!" Arcee finally snapped, "A couple of victories aren't going to make you a legend! And not every mission results in success! Not for me, not for Bee, it wasn't the case for Tally and it's not even for Optimus! We've gained relics and we've lost some! We've also lost friends! We've even lost a world! But this is one time we get a do-over! We have a chance to bring back Cybertron and everyone in this room needs to be in sync! This isn't about you or your destiny!"

"Arcee, you've made your point," Optimus rumbled as he went to diffuse the tension.

"Optimus, he needs to hear this," Arcee protested, silencing the Prime for the moment, "You might actually become a great warrior one day! And I sincerely hope that you do! But greatness begins and ends with putting the team first! Not your personal scorecard!"

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you guys!" Smokescreen protested.

"Then stop trying to be a hero and start being an Autobot!" Arcee sneered, "Look. Talida had this hero complex in her. It was something we couldn't help but admire. And sometimes, that hero complex ended up saving the entire planet. Actually, it was the only reason she, Jack and myself survived everything on Cybertron! But in the end, that hero complex was what allowed Megatron to kill her! And it's going to do the same to you!"

"You don't know anything, Arcee! You weren't there like Optimus and I were! You didn't have the chance to stop Megatron from swiping her with his sword! You didn't have the chance to save her only to end up watching her be killed! Talida may have been your stepdaughter! But she was also my best friend! Yeah. I know. How could we be friends? I've only been here for a few Earth weeks! Here's how it was with us! She was the only person who actually understood me! She understood how it feels to be on the outside looking in! She understood how it feels to not be good enough because she had been there multiple times herself! She was the only person out of this entire team who truly believed in me! Pit! I'd go as far as saying that she's a better person than a lot of the Autobots combined!" Smokescreen snapped before glancing at the others and finally saying, "You know what?! Talida was a smart kid! There's no way I'd disagree! But she was wrong about me! I'm not good enough! And I'll never will be!"

With those heated words said, Smokescreen transformed into his vehicle mode and drove away. Everyone just stood there in silence, stunned by his words. Sure. They knew that Talida had moments where she was down in the slumps. Depression was her frequent companion after her kidnapping at the age of 14. But they never truly understood the full extent of the depression she felt. Optimus was her father and no matter how hard he tried to, he couldn't.

"Next time Optimus advises you to stop, you should listen," Ratchet suggested.

"I'll bring him back," Bulkhead promised as he went to follow Smokescreen.

"Smokescreen is young, Bulkhead," Optimus said as he stepped forward, "He has much to learn. But right now, he needs to clear his thoughts. And I need to finish decoding the final Iacon entry."

* * *

"You never even SPIED THE RELIC?!" Megatron roared at Dreadwing in disbelief.

"By the time I reached the location, it was gone," Dreadwing reported sadly, "As were the Autobots."

"It would serve as well not to only decode the final Iacon entry before Optimus Prime does. But to recapture the relics currently held by the Autobots!" Megatron proclaimed before turning to his surveillance chief, "Soundwave! Despite your primary task, I trust that you are making progress pinpointing the location of their base. Good. Given the recent accumulation of evidence, we possess a clear idea of where their human colleagues reside! And Laserbeak should soon determine whether the Autobots dwell in proximity."

* * *

"Ahhh… The final entry has been decoded!" Optimus announced in relief.

"Has it?" Ratchet asked.

Instead of unveiling a set of coordinates as the previous encryptions did, the decrypted codes began revealing a picture rather than a location. At first, they were confused.

"Perhaps it's a layer of secondary encryption," Optimus mused.

* * *

Soundwave had finished decoding the same coordinates and saw the same picture forming that the Autobots were seeing.

"The coordinates are forming an image," Megatron observed before asking himself, "Why would the final Iacon entry be different from the others?"

* * *

"Maybe it's a picture of the relic," Bulkhead guessed with a small shrug.

"Of what possible use could that be to us without knowing its location?" Ratchet retorted with a scoff.

"I trust that Alpha Trion had his reasons," Optimus rumbled.

Everyone was forced to swallow their guesses as the picture finished revealing itself. They saw the familiar shape of one of the many comrades they knew. However, what surprised them was the fact that it was a picture of their new recruit.

"Smokescreen?!" Bulkhead gaped in disbelief.

* * *

Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron and Soundwave were seeing what the Autobots were seeing. And very much like their Autobot counterparts, they were having a hard time believing it.

"Prime's latest recruit is the final relic from Iacon?!" Megatron gasped in shock.

* * *

"Is this that hot shot's idea of a joke?!" Arcee demanded angrily.

"**I highly doubt that, Arcee,**" Bumblebee protested.

"Maybe he knows where the key is," Bulkhead shrugged.

"And never bother to mention it?" Arcee retorted.

"A more likely possibility is that Smokescreen himself is somehow the key without knowing it," Ratchet threw his own ideas into the mix.

"Whatever the case, he could be in grave danger," Optimus reminded everyone before activating his commlink, "Smokescreen, return to base immediately."

When they didn't get a response, Ratchet stated what everyone else knew, "He may have deactivated his commlink."

"Locate his position and prepare the GroundBridge," Optimus immediately instructed.

* * *

Unfortunately for the Autobots, the Decepticons were going to reach Smokescreen before they could. This was shown by Soundwave using Laserbeak to pinpoint where Smokescreen was as he drove down the desert highway to unleash his anger. Megatron was unable to contain the smirk on his face.

"It seems our side project is already paying off!" Megatron cheered in glee, "Perhaps we didn't need to wait for Project Aeon to reach fruition!"

In his side view mirror, Smokescreen was able to see Laserbeak approaching. When the drone began shooting at him, he was able to perform some maneuvers to avoid being hit. In the end, Smokescreen transformed and stood in anger ready to fight as Laserbeak swarmed around him.

"You've picked the wrong day to mess with me, 'Con!" Smokescreen snarled as he charged his blasters, "And your master's going to regret taking Talida from me!"

Smokescreen never got the chance to fire. He was blindsided for the second time. This time, it wasn't from behind. It was from the side. He was sent tumbling through the desert sand before coming to a stop a few feet away from the road. Groaning in pain, Smokescreen began losing the strength to fight the eloping darkness.

Through his blurred vision, he could make out the shapes and colours of Soundwave. It became clear to him that he used the Resonance Blaster to attack him. That was the last vision he saw before he was claimed by the never-ending darkness of unconsciousness.

Quickly, the Autobots jumped through the GroundBridge portal ready to fight. However, they were quick to discover that they had arrived far too late. Soundwave had shown up before they had and taken down Smokescreen. Horrified, they saw another GroundBridge open and Soundwave was in the process of dragging Smokescreen through the Decepticon GroundBridge portal.

"Smokescreen!" Optimus gasped in horror.

The Autobots were quick to desperately try and catch them before they left. Soundwave had dragged the unconscious Smokescreen through the open portal. By the time the Autobots had reached them, the portal had closed before them. They were too late.

"No!" Optimus cried in despair.

* * *

Soundwave was quick to strap Smokescreen to the slab in the med bay. Smokescreen didn't make a sound or indicate he was slipping into consciousness once again. Glancing behind him, Soundwave saw Knock Out hard at work for a change. Then he saw why. He saw that the medic was passionately working on Project Aeon.

And the subject of Project Aeon was Talida – bruised, bloodied and caught in the balance of life and death – attached to machines that were in the process of saving her life.

"_This is my December.  
__This is my time of the year.  
__This is my December.  
__This is all so clear…_

_Give it all away…  
__Just to have somewhere to go to.  
__Give it all away…  
__To have someone to come home to._

_Give it all away…  
__Just to have somewhere to go to.  
__Give it all away…  
__To have someone to come home to._"

* * *

**Some of you saw this coming. Some of you didn't. I decided to unveil that now rather than next chapter. The biggest hint should have been Aeon! Because Aeon means 'life' and/or 'being' as well as 'age', 'forever' or 'for eternity'. What should be surprising is that Megatron is saving his niece. But what are Megatron's ulterior motives in his efforts to save Talida? Because he wants the honor to kill her himself and hurt Optimus more? Because he wants to learn to the location of the Autobot base from her? Because he wants to wipe her memories and spark and make her his personal Decepticon?**

**Here's the bit where Project Aeon was born…**

* * *

"Lord Megatron!" Knock Out cried as he raced through the corridors to find his master on the bridge, "The troops found something on the wings of the Nemesis."

"Please let me be, Knock Out," Megatron pleaded, "Take whatever you found to Dreadwing."

"I think you will want to see this," Knock Out protested.

Deciding to amuse the medic, Megatron turned away from the large screen. When he did and Knock out unveiled what was found, he gasped in disbelief.

Lying on a blanket in Knock Out's hands was Talida Prime herself. Granted, she was bloodied and bruised and her clothes were torn from her experience. Pit. Her clothes were in such bad condition that her red cardigan and blue singlet were destroyed, revealing her dark blue lace strapless bra. Blood stained her torso where he had sliced her in half in his attempt to kill her.

"By the AllSpark!" Megatron gasped as he cradled his niece in his arms.

"I thought you had kill her!" Knock Out objected.

"She disappeared in a puff of smoke as I delivered the fatal blow and she tried to block it with her sword," Megatron clarified before smirking, "Take her to the med bay and hook her to the life machines."

"You want to save her, my liege?!" Knock Out exclaimed in disbelief.

"We are starting a new project, Knock Out. It shall be entitled Project Aeon. Everything in the project is going to centre on my dear niece here in the following stages," Megatron proclaimed to Knock Out before listing the stages, "Stage one: we heal her injuries from our encounter and save her from death. When she awakens after the healing of her injuries, we move on to stage two. Stage two: we will wipe her memories of her entire life from birth to the attack. Wiping her memories will allow me to make her dependent of the Decepticons. Stage three: we retrain her to fight. Due to us having to erase her memories, along with her family, she will have forgotten how to fight and defend herself. Stage four: we blacken her spark."

"Blacken her spark?" Knock Out repeated in confusion.

"Her spark is loyal to the Autobot cause. With some…'tweaking' on our behalf, we will be able to devote her – mind, spark and soul – to the Decepticons instead," Megatron clarified, "Stage five: we officially make her a Decepticon and my woman and make Optimus fight her to the death."

"Your woman?" Knock Out stuttered.

"My right-hand woman, Knock Out. Maybe more…," Megatron trailed off with a smirk.

Knock Out had to refrain the urge to purge the fluids in his Energon tanks. Someone with mental deformities wouldn't have difficulty figuring it out. Honestly, he felt sick. This was his niece who wasn't even his soul mate.

"Is that going to be a problem, doctor?" Megatron inquired.

"None, my liege. I will begin work right away," Knock Out nodded.

"Uncle…"

In surprise, Megatron looked down and saw his niece trembling in pain. Her eyes were open and fixed on her uncle.

"Help…me…!" Talida gasped in pain.

"Of course, my dear niece," Megatron murmured in a loving way that made Knock Out even more sick, "I will take care of you. I promise. …KNOCK OUT!"

"Right away, my liege!" Knock Out cried as he took Talida and raced out of the room.

Megatron smirked to himself evilly. This was his greatest plan yet.

* * *

**Believe it or not, I can almost see Megatron doing something like that. Somehow, I can see Megatron doing that to his niece to hurt the Autobots. Do you see what I mean?**

**PROMO TIME!**

* * *

_Knock Out: Wakey, wakey…_

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Ratchet: Smokescreen must have been taken aboard the Decepticon warship._

_Knock Out: Do you really think you can escape?!_

_**Show Smokescreen clutching objects to his chest as he jumped over the edge of the Nemesis**_

_**Show Megatron throwing Vehicons over the edge to chase after Smokescreen**_

_Megatron: RETRIEVE THE OMEGA KEYS!_

_**Show Vehicons transforming mid-air – including Steve who screamed as he fell in his car formation**_

_**Show Vehicons shooting at an intruder in the Nemesis**_

_**Show Megatron landing on the ground**_

_**Show a Vehicon exploding mid-air**_

_Optimus: We have been deceived._

_**Show the Autobots charging into battle**_

_**Show Starscream clutching the Omega Keys**_

_**Show Ratchet and Bulkhead avoiding a missile**_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**Can't wait to write the next chapter! Now, as I stated before, school's back. And since I'm in the concert band, the choir, a Justice Representative for my house group and planning on going to university, I really need to step it up. Don't worry. I'll see if I can sneak in some chapters here and there. But I hold no promises.**

**BYE!**


	23. Inside Job

**The awkward moment when you ask your fans to vote on a poll but you haven't even opened the poll yet. Whoops. :D That was my bad, everyone! Poll's officially open now!**

**Allow me to say this: school is crazy. We had the social last Friday, I have to help a friend out with the school talent quest AND the teachers are being crazy with the assignments. I have an assignment for essentially every subject except for English. And it's only gonna get harder as the year goes by. Also...I'm dreading the school report card that's gonna arrive this week.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**storygirl99210: Wait for it…**

**devildog452: Really? This is MEGATRON we're talking about.**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: Don't worry. I got it.**

**AlphaTrion3145: I have no idea.**

**dx-1118: (1)****Not a big fan of the name. And you do realize that if you keep questioning the logics of my stories, you'll destroy the series for yourself, right? Keep that in mind.**

**(2) Nothing's definite. I'm going by the poll results.**

**Bee4ever: Let's pray for the best.**

**Awesomo3000: That's for me to know and for you to find out when you read it.**

**tfp-fan: Dude, you've seen the episodes right?**

**Guest: This is MEGATRON we're talking about, remember?**

**AllSpark Princess: I'll try. But with school being a bitch, I hold no promises.**

**Ninjabot01:****Nothing's definite, remember? The poll will be my only influence in my decision...**

**haloangel21: That would be pretty amusing, wouldn't it? Considering he wasn't around the first time around…**

**Sephiroth 200: Thanks! I'll need it!**

**stormspyral: Bummer he dies in this one.**

**lava-x101: That seems to be a recurring theme here…**

**Guest: Who doesn't?!  
**

**Blake: What's the name of that fic? I may search it and read it.**

**raddi101: Like the rest of their plans?**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Lost in the Echo**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**What can I say? I'm in my LP mood again. And SERIOUSLY! Check out their 8-bit rebellion game! It is AWESOME! They need to update it, though. Seriously in need of new missions.**

**Something I don't get though about that game. There's this guy who's at the top of the leaderboard with a lot of points. Here's the catch: he has no trophies and as far as I know, he is yet to complete the main story. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Yeah. Yo!_

_You were that foundation!  
__Never gonna be another one! No!  
__I followed! So taken!  
__So conditioned I could never let go!  
__Then sorrow! Then sickness!  
__Then the shock when you flip it on me!  
__So hollow! So vicious!  
__So afraid I couldn't let myself see!_

_That I could never be held,  
Back or up! No! I'll hold myself!  
Check the rep! Yep! You know mine well!  
Forget the rest! Let them know my hell!  
__There and back! Yet my soul ain't sell!  
__Kept respect up! The best they fell!  
__Let the rest be the tale they tell!  
__That I was there saying…_

_In these promises broken,  
__Deep below!  
__Each word gets lost in the echo!  
__So one last lie I can see through!  
__This time, I finally let you…  
__Go… Go… Go…_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_Four sets of coordinates from Alpha Trion remain encrypted. It is logical to conclude that each coordinates correspond to the location of the Omega Keys," Optimus proclaimed._

"_The future of Cybertron is riding on us finding those Omega Keys," Talida added._

"_TALIDA!" Optimus called as he saw Megatron go to deliver the fatal blow._

"_NO!" Talida screamed as she faded into blue smoke._

"_NO! NO!" Optimus roared in horror as he clutched the sword and locket to his chest, "TALIDA!"_

"_I…I can't find Talida's life signal," Ratchet trembled._

"_Scrap!" Arcee whimpered as she saw that Knock Out had taken the second key._

"_It appears identical to the one taken from me by Optimus Prime. Pieces of a larger puzzle, perhaps," Megatron mused._

"_Alpha Trion said we needed all four keys to revive Cybertron, remember? We just need to hang on to the one we have and find a way to get the other ones back from Megatron," Bulkhead reminded the deflated Smokescreen as they walked through the GroundBridge._

"_You know what?! Talida was a smart kid! There's no way I'd disagree! But she was wrong about me! I'm not good enough! And I'll never will be!" Smokescreen snapped before transforming and driving away._

"_The final entry has been decoded!" Optimus announced._

"_The coordinates are forming an image," Megatron observed._

"_Smokescreen?!" Bulkhead gaped in disbelief._

_"Prime's latest recruit is the final relic of Iacon?!" Megatron roared in disbelief._

"_NO!" Optimus roared._

"_Indulge me, Knock Out. What is the current progress of Project Aeon?" Megatron inquired._

"_Continuing as expected, Lord Megatron. The subject is responding well to the experimentations I perform on it," Knock Out answered with a smirk, referring to a battered, bloodied and bruised Talida on life support as he pleased Megatron with his answer._

"Wakey, wakey…"

Smokescreen groaned as he came to from the stun blast Laserbeak gave him. Something he was expecting was to be inside the med bay at the Autobot base. He'd even take Ratchet being grouchy and one of Optimus' famous lectures. Anything over this.

He gasped in horror as he fully woke up and saw Knock Out looming over him. Immediately, he went to climb off the slab and give the medic a piece of his mind. However, he found he couldn't. Looking down, he saw that his wrists were bound to the metal slab by Energon cuffs, forcing Smokescreen to cease his movements.

"If you're looking for your phase shifter, finders keepers," Knock Out smirked as he held up his wrist with the phase shifter attached to it.

"Enough prattling, Knock Out!" Megatron snapped impatiently as he revealed himself, "Hand me the final relic now!"

"Yeah! I can't help you! That's the only one I was packing!" Smokescreen confessed as he gestured to the phase shifter on Knock Out's wrist.

"Soundwave," was all Megatron said.

Knowing what Megatron wanted, Soundwave brought up one of the decrypted coordinates from the Iacon Database; more specifically, Smokescreen's picture that was slowly being revealed..

"You've got the wrong guy, chief! Optimus Prime is the only one that can decode that database!" Smokescreen reminded them.

"Ah, but you misunderstand. The final entry has been decoded by us! According to our findings, it would appear that I indeed have the right guy," Megatron smiled wickedly as the picture was finally unveiled.

"The question is what is it that you're still packing?" Knock Out mused.

With the scanner, Knock Out took a glance at Smokescreen's internal systems. When he reached Smokescreen's mid-section, everything became clear to them. They seemed to understand why Smokescreen was so confused to begin with and why the final Iacon relic revealed his picture rather than coordinates. Smokescreen wasn't the actual relic. He was the final relic's containment unit.

"Why, hidden treasure, of course!" Knock Out cackled.

Smokescreen had no idea of what Megatron and Knock Out would do with him. But he already knew that it wasn't going to be good.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME  
**_

"_Test my will! Test my heart!  
Let me tell you how the odds gonna stack up!  
Y'all go hard! I go smart!  
How's that working out for y'all in the back, huh?!  
I've seen that frustration!  
__Been crossed and lost and told "No!"  
__And I've come back unshaken!  
__Let down and lived and let go!_

_So you can let it be known!  
__I don't hold back! I hold my own!  
__I can't be mapped! I can't be cloned!  
__I can't C-flat! It ain't my tone!  
__I can't fall back! I came too far!  
__Hold myself up and love my scars!  
__Let the bells rings wherever they are!  
_'_Cause I was there saying…_

_In these promises broken,  
__Deep below!  
__Each word gets lost in the echo!  
__So one last lie I can see through!  
__This time, I finally LET YOU GO!  
__GO! GO! GO!_"

"Smokescreen must have been taken aboard the Decepticon warship. Tracing his signal through its shielding will be impossible," Ratchet announced gravely.

"Continue monitoring all frequencies, Ratchet. Far more than Smokescreen's fate may be at stake," Optimus pointed out.

"I don't get it. How can Smoke be an Omega Key?" Bulkhead wanted to know.

"Perhaps he isn't the key. But its container," Ratchet reasoned.

"The other Iacon relics were sent to Earth in pods," Arcee reminded everyone, "Why not this one?"

"When the Decepticons stormed Iacon, it may have been too late for Alpha Trion and Rayna to launch the final Omega Key into space. At least by standard means," Optimus assumed.

"So Smokescreen assumed everything went black because he was hit by Decepticons," Arcee surmised.

"But Alpha Trion's the one who actually turned off the kid's lights," Bulkhead corrected, "Tally was right about one thing. Alpha Trion is a sneaky bastard."

"It stands to reason that my mentor and my family's savior and our Princess did not want Smokescreen to know what he was carrying in the event of capture," Optimus guessed.

"And with a mobile relic, Alpha Trion and Rayna couldn't supply fixed coordinates," Arcee added in realization before groaning and saying, "I hate it when Tally's right! Alpha Trion is a sneaky bastard!"

"So the big A and Rayna slipped us a clue instead. Smoke's mug shot," Bulkhead finished.

"The Decepticons got to Smokescreen first," Ratchet reminded everyone, "I fear they have decoded the same clue."

"Man, if Tally were here, she'd be saying some Earth saying about how everything turns out the way they supposed to in the end," Bulkhead remarked.

"Well, Tally's not here!" Arcee enforced bitterly before storming out of the room, "Why can't you just do us all a favor and accept that?!"

"There's something I don't get. Megatron's spent more time trying to save Talida rather than harm her until that attack. I'd go as far as saying he cares about her. Why would he willingly kill her?" Bulkhead asked.

"Megatron is a master in the art of deception, Bulkhead. It stands to reason that he was only doing that to lead us astray and give him enough time to plan Talida's demise," Optimus rumbled sadly, "Maybe if I hadn't had her…"

"Optimus, Talida's death is not your fault. She died due to Megatron's twisted vision. When you decided to help Rosalie have Talida almost 17 years ago, there was no way you could have foretold this," Ratchet told Optimus, "And to be honest…I can't believe I'm saying this. But I would be speaking on behalf of everyone here – myself included – when I say that we're glad you had her."

Optimus was confused by his words. When he announced his intentions, he was one of his strongest protesters until Rosalie was in her seventh month of pregnancy.

"If you hadn't decided to have Talida, none of us would be where we are today. Chances are we probably would've been dead or have surrendered by now. Talida gave us something to fight for in this war. Not just for our home planet. But our future generations. And Cayden is very much the same as his sister. Talida's death also inspires us to avenge her," Ratchet went on.

"Normally, I would be against seeking vengeance after my parents' demise. However…I am more than a simple leader. I am a spark mate. I am a father. Talida was also more than a simple techno-organic. She was my daughter. And all I want is Megatron's Energon spilt," Optimus snarled.

* * *

"Yet another one of these identical relics?!" Megatron exclaimed in disbelief, "Remove it swiftly!"

"With pleasure," Knock Out smirked as he unveiled his rotor saw, "I so resent a finish flashier than my own!"

Smokescreen squirmed around as he tried to escape Knock Out's approaching saw. When the teeth were close to scraping his stomach, Knock Out stopped.

"Ha! Made you squirm!" Knock Out smirked as he retracted his rotor saw into his arm before testing the phase shifter by pressing his hand through his arm, "Trippy… And intuitive. Proper grounding ensures that its user won't phase through the floor!"

"I said swiftly!" Megatron snapped impatiently from his position at the next slab.

"What you got on there? Tools to do it yourself if Knock Out doesn't do it for you?!" Smokescreen spat as he resumed his struggle.

"Oh no. Leverage," Megatron smirked.

With those words said, he removed the sheet that had covered the small slab. Immediately, Smokescreen stopped struggling and was frozen in horror. Everything seemed to stop for him when he saw Talida lying on that cool slab. The blood and bruises covering her form almost made her unrecognizable. Without the Energy Sword and the locket she could never live without, she was almost naked in an emotional non-literal way.

"Talida!" Smokescreen gasped before growling at Megatron, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?! WHAT HAVE YOU-ARGH!"

While Smokescreen was distracted, Knock Out decided to take the plunge. Activating the phase shifter, he plunged his hand into Smokescreen's stomach. And this action was something the young Autobot did not enjoy very much.

"GET YOUR STINKING HAND OUT OF MY GEARS!" Smokescreen roared.

"And…gotcha!" Knock Out cheered.

Smokescreen's body arched unwillingly as Knock Out tugged at his systems. Within moments, Knock Out was able to remove the Omega Key from his body. Smokescreen was slump against the slab, still recovering from the removal of the vessel in his systems.

"Tell me the function of these relics," Megatron instructed.

"Doorstops, shavers, bling; beats me," Smokescreen lied with a casual shrug and smirk.

"A pity this little gadget won't let me just slip into his brain pan and pluck out the info," Knock Out grumbled in disappointment.

"Fortunately, we possess a device that can," Megatron stated with a smirk.

Smokescreen knew what he was talking about, having heard stories growing up about the device Megatron was talking about and how he used it on prisoners. The device he was talking about was the Cortical Psychic Patch.

"I thought we were going to do that to Talida before we erase her memories!" Knock Out protested.

"My niece is still severely injured from our last encounter. Invading her mind could be the trigger that would force her body to slip into shock and kill her. Project Aeon is still at stage one, Knock Out. You have told me so yourself," Megatron reminded him, "And our prisoner is going to be a worthy candidate."

"Project Aeon?" Smokescreen whispered to himself in confusion.

What is Project Aeon?

* * *

"Individually, each of these so-called Omega Keys is useless. Yet possessing a single one grants me tremendous negotiating power with either Autobots or Decepticons," Starscream sneered excitedly, "Still, imagine if I managed to acquire the other three. I could revive Cybertron and seize the throne as Starscream the First, Supreme Leader, Overlord and Emperor of Destruction! I'll be a much stronger, better leader than Rayna ever was or could have been!"

Cackling in excitement, he then realized something. His realization was that there would be major setbacks with his plans and the many cons outweighed the little pros. Not to mention the low chances he had of actual success with his plans.

Among them being that he didn't have the power Rayna had in her reign, the power Megatron has to overthrow the Cybertronian Royal Family and take the royal throne for himself or the respect that Princess Rayna, Optimus Prime and Megatron hold from their respective followers. Those were something that he was sure deep down inside his internal systems and at the back of his twisted mind (albeit not as twisted as the mind of his former master) that no matter how hard he tried he would never gain.

"But unlike Megatron and Rayna once did, I lack the necessary infrastructure to enforce the reign. No warship. No army. Only my mica laboratory finds, a GroundBridge control and a single remaining dose of Red Energon," Starscream listed before approaching the lifeless husk of his former clone from his attempts to assassinate his former master and lord a few months before, "And you, old friend. But…I would all too gladly trade this simply to be restored to my former glory."

* * *

"While I am unfamiliar about the lore of these Omega Keys, Alpha Trion knew many secrets," Optimus stated.

"The technology of the ancients has been lost to the conventions of modern science," Talida piped in.

"Whatever this function, this much is certain," Optimus began as everyone truly began to pay attention.

"Without having all four Omega Keys in our possession, we can't revive Cybertron," Talida went on before finishing the small explanation by declaring, "_The future of Cybertron is riding on us finding those Omega keys._"

On the monitor, Megatron and Knock Out watched the results of the use of the Cortical Psychic Patch on Smokescreen being unfolded before their very optics. When Talida's final declaration was revealed, Knock Out faced his master, who was lying on the slab with the other end of the patch attached to his head.

"That's a wrap!" Knock Out proclaimed as he detached the cord from Smokescreen's head, earning grunts of discomfort from the young Autobot before he went to disconnect Megatron.

"The power to make Cybertron as I see fit!" Megatron gasped as he stood up, "I will pry the other two keys from Optimus Prime's lifeless fingers, which may not be hard because as far as he knows, his precious little daughter is nothing but a cloud of blue smoke roaming the universe with no way home. We must find the exact location of the Autobot base. Patch in and tear apart Smokescreen's mind if you must."

"Me?!" Knock Out cried in protest.

"Who else? I can't ask Malita, can I?" Megatron sighed tiredly as he left the laboratory before stating dryly, "Besides, do you think I would entrust you to see this key safely to the vault containing the other one?"

"Once more into the brain pan," Knock Out grumbled.

"No! Not again! Stay out of my head!" Smokescreen pleaded.

"Now, now, you'll only make things worse for yourself," Knock Out taunted.

"What is Project Aeon anyway? And how did she get here?" Smokescreen asked.

"Lord Megatron would peal my paint if I told you what Project Aeon consists of. However, since you have no chance of escape, I will indulge you just this once. Talida was found on the wings of the warship by a small patrol of Vehicons. When they brought her to me, I immediately delivered her to Lord Megatron. Once I did, he planned every single stage of Project Aeon with every small detail. Stage one: I am to heal the critical injuries that lead her to us in the first place. Stage two: we erase her memories to make her fully dependent on the cause. Stage three: Megatron will train her in the arts of self-defense and deception. Stage four: we blacken her spark so she has no more loyalty for the Autobots. Stage five: she is to become a fully-fledged leader of the Decepticon cause. Afterwards, Megatron will officially make her his woman," Knock Out explained.

"He wants to make her his first lieutenant?!" Smokescreen assumed incorrectly.

"Not just his first lieutenant. More like his spark mate," Knock Out clarified.

Smokescreen immediately stopped struggling as he allowed it to sink in. Immediately, he felt the need to purge that small dose of Energon he was able to indulge himself with before the failed relic hunt and the argument with Arcee. Instantly, in a strange way, he was glad that the Decepticons captured him. Hadn't he arrived when he did, they would've seen Talida as a Decepticon.

Regaining his mobility, he acted on pure instinct when Knock Out was close. Immediately, he made a grab for the phase shifter, snarling in pure anger.

"If you struggle, I'll get worse!" Smokescreen snarled as he freed himself.

The two struggled for many moments. The phase shifter was still activated. When they began walking around the room, they walked through the objects. Eventually, they found themselves walking towards the back wall of the room. Smokescreen fell through the wall and landed in the hallway outside the lab. Within his grasp was the phase shifter, which he removed during the struggle. Knock Out, on the other hand, was only partially through and was stuck. Something he wasn't too happy about.

"Well, aren't you the clever one?" Knock Out grumbled, "This ship is miles in the sky and swarming with Decepticons! Do you really think you can escape?!"

"Who says I'm looking to escape?" Smokescreen retorted as he raced into the med lab.

Knock Out immediately struggled, fearing what Smokescreen was going to do. When he heard the sound of machines disconnecting and the familiar monotone beep, he was able to figure out what Smokescreen had done inside the med lab. This was confirmed when he came out cradling the weak Talida in his arms.

"You do realize that you could possibly KILL HER?!" Knock Out roared in disbelief.

"Not on my watch!" Smokescreen vowed as he walked away, Knock Out's roars in anger following him.

"Smoke…"

Smokescreen looked down and saw that Talida was beginning to come to. Smiling tearfully, he hid themselves behind a wall and held her even closer.

"Hey, Tally," Smokescreen choked, "Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out of here. I promise."

"The keys…," Talida protested weakly, "The keys…"

"I'll get them," Smokescreen vowed, "Let's go."

* * *

Megatron wore the scroll he always wore as he slowly approached the vaults. There were a lot of things or people aboard the Nemesis that annoyed him. Knock Out and his lack of care or respect for his patience or work was up there. In fact, Knock Out and his many faults neared the top of his very long list.

However, there would be something else that would annoy him even more.

"THINK FAST!"

Before Megatron could blink, Smokescreen had slipped past him and fazed into the vault he was heading to with the ability of the phase shifter. To his horror, not only did he slip past him and grab the Omega Key removed from his body.

He had Talida as well.

"WHAT?!" Megatron roared.

With haste, he typed in the codes he needed to enter the vault into the keypad. To further the horror he was feeling, by the time he managed to open the vault doors, the only Omega Key he had obtained before the revelation of the key in Smokescreen's systems was gone.

* * *

Hearing the roar of anger, despite her weak state, Talida couldn't help but say,

"He sounds mad…"

"Try not to talk, Tally. Save your strength," Smokescreen pleaded as he continued to race through the Nemesis looking for a way out, "You wouldn't happen to know a way out, would you?"

When he didn't earn an answer, he looked down to check on his dear friend. Despite him telling her not to speak and save her strength, he still held the fear of her slipping into unconsciousness or even death. When he looked down, he saw that Talida had slipped into unconscious again.

"Fuck!" Smokescreen cursed.

If he hadn't needed to get Talida off of the Nemesis before, he needed to now.

However, there were a series of Vehicons coming on either side ready to stop them. Jokingly, Smokescreen couldn't help but ask,

"Oh, so this isn't the way out?"

Those words caused the Vehicons to open fire on the escaping Autobots. Smokescreen, despite having the phase shifter still activated, clutched Talida to his chest in case she was hit by the shots coming from the six Vehicons. Fortunately for them, Talida and the keys weren't hit by any of the shots. However, the same couldn't be said for the Vehicons attempting to attack them.

Not wanting to stick around any longer, Smokescreen phased through the wall. Without stopping, he phased through the Insecticon and the opposite wall as soon as he was in the hallway next to the one he and Talida just escaped from. The Insecticon snarled in anger. One thing it hated was escaping Autobots.

When Smokescreen phased through the next wall, he saw that he didn't phase into another hallway like he did before. He was standing on the roof of the ship. Since he didn't possess flight, there was no way for him to fly into the skies. Megatron, accompanied by several Vehicons, joined Smokescreen on the roof. This ruled out the young Autobot walking back in and finding another way out. When he glanced down at Talida, he knew that it wouldn't be an option even if Megatron wasn't there to block it. Talida was getting weaker by the second. Slowly, she was dying from her injuries.

"The keys! And my niece while you're at it!" Megatron requested as the Vehicons aimed their blasters at Smokescreen.

"I know everything about Project Aeon! Knock Out decided to tell me everything! I'd rather die than let you get your claws on Talida again!" Smokescreen snarled.

"A pity you are incapable of flight," Megatron tormented.

"Yeah. Like I'm gonna let that stop me," Smokescreen scoffed.

Without a second thought, he raced towards the edge of the roof…

And, much to the horror of Megatron and the witnessing Vehicons, jumped and began his lengthy – and not to mention highly dangerous – free fall to the ground below.

In one hand, Smokescreen grasped both of the recently obtained Omega Keys. Inside his other hand, he was clutching the weak Talida against his spark chamber, where he radiated the most heat in his attempt to keep her warm.

* * *

"Smokescreen's signal! It's back online!" Ratchet cheered.

"The kid escaped the warship!" Bulkhead cried.

* * *

"Smokescreen to base, I could really use a GroundBridge," Smokescreen remarked into the commlink.

"Retrieve the Omega Keys and my niece! QUICKLY!" Megatron immediately instructed.

For Megatron, the Vehicons weren't reacting fast enough and obeying his orders. So to force them to hurry up, he grabbed two Vehicons and threw them over. While the second Vehicon transformed into a plane, Steve wasn't as lucky.

"Flyers! I need flyers!" Megatron snarled.

Not wanting to be thrown overboard like the two Vehicons that preceded them – especially Steve – three Vehicons were quick to take off for the skies. Megatron maintained his snarl. He would never be happy until Smokescreen and Talida were captured once again.

* * *

"Setting coordinates," Ratchet reported before noticing something was off, "That's strange…"

"What's the problem?" Arcee demanded.

"Smokescreen's telemetry data doesn't make sense. I can't lock on to his position!" Ratchet cried.

* * *

"Hang on, Tally!" Smokescreen called as he quickly stashed her into his chest compartment while he slid the keys into his back and increased his rate of descent.

Above him, the Vehicons that were flyers began to open fire on him as he fell. Knowing what would happen next, Smokescreen activated the phase shifter. Something that he learned fast was that it was better to be safe than sorry. Quickly, he learned that he was lucky that he did as one of the Vehicons that were attacking from above flew right through him towards the ground below. Instantly, Smokescreen transformed his servo into his blasters and fired a shot. In mid-air, the Vehicon that was flying underneath him exploded into nothing.

* * *

"I've isolated the problem! Smokescreen is in free fall!" Ratchet announced before reopening the commlink, "_Smokescreen! I'm opening a GroundBridge directly below you!_"

"Brace yourselves. I'm gonna make an entrance," Smokescreen warned as he deactivated the phase shifter so he wouldn't phase through the portal.

However, knowing his luck, Smokescreen wouldn't make it through the portal. And that was due to Megatron appearing seemingly from nowhere and knocking Smokescreen off course. He missed the open GroundBridge portal by a long shot.

* * *

"He's…off course!" Ratchet cried in horror as he noticed it on the scanners, realizing what was going to happen if they didn't rescue Smokescreen in time.

"You missed?!" Arcee exclaimed in disbelief.

"Make another one! FAST!" Bulkhead ordered.

* * *

"I hope proper grounding on this thing doesn't apply to actual ground," Smokescreen winced as he activated the phase shifter once again, "And I hope Talida survives this."

As the ground came closer, Smokescreen closed his eyes and braced himself. Immediately, he placed his hands over where his chest compartment would be. Something he knew was that he didn't risk his life getting the severely injured Talida off of the Nemesis, out of Megatron's hands, only to have her die for real.

Before Smokescreen knew it, he was phasing through the ground unharmed. Two of the Vehicon flyers didn't pull up in time and exploded upon impact. Megatron, having flown since the war's beginnings, managed to fly away fast. Steve, who was screaming the entire time he was freefalling, was killed as well. **(AN: R.I.P, STEVE!)**

* * *

To the horror of the Autobots, Smokescreen's signal vanished like nothing. Everyone had a hard time believing that they had seen what had just happened. They had come so close to bringing Smokescreen home where he belonged. Something they weren't counting on was to lose their friend all over again. However, this time, they knew that he wasn't going to pull one of his famous stints.

He was gone forever.

"No!" Ratchet deflated.

* * *

"Scour the wreckage!" Megatron instructed as he and two Vehicons landed nearby, "I WANT THOSE KEYS!"

Beneath their feet, Smokescreen was emerging from a rock wall into a canyon. Talida, who was still growing weaker by the minute, was cradled in his arms. Pain was radiating throughout Smokescreen's entire body as he moved around. Something that he knew was that he never wanted to pull that stunt ever again.

"Hey, Ratchet. _I could still really use that GroundBridge. And…I'm gonna need you to prepare sick bay._"

"Are you hurt?" Ratchet asked.

"_You're gonna have to wait and see._"

"Open the GroundBridge, old friend. Smokescreen may have found a friend of ours or a Decepticon willing to change sides," Optimus stated.

As soon as Ratchet opened the GroundBridge, Smokescreen raced through. Everyone cheered at the sight of him, close to shedding tears of pure relief. Smokescreen only smirked.

"I'd save the hero's welcome for someone else," Smokescreen smirked slightly as he lowered his arms slightly to let them see Talida, "She really deserves it."

"Tally!" Arcee cried joyfully as she embraced Optimus tightly.

"That's my girl!" Bulkhead cheered.

"**Thank Primus!**" Bumblebee sobbed as he began crying tears of joy.

"Hug her later! She has a weak life signal!" Ratchet barked as he snatched the young Prime from Smokescreen, "Arcee, you may wanna fetch her some clothes. Bulkhead, I need you to check out Smokescreen. Optimus, help Bulkhead. Bumblebee…watch Cayden. I can't have you here being an emotional wreck."

Everyone – even Optimus – scrambled around obeying Ratchet's orders. Smokescreen only had minor injuries and didn't need to be confined to base. Talida, on the other hand, suffered from severe bleeding and a ruptured spleen, which Ratchet had to remove fast. She would have to be confined for a week.

Rather than change her into the clothes she was wearing before, Arcee changed Talida into a pile of clothes that she just reached blindly into. The outfit consisted of a black figure-hugging scoop neck t-shirt (something that Optimus almost went ballistic about due to the low neckline), black ultra skinny jeans and black leather knee-high boots. Her hair was also braided behind her back with some strands framing her flawless face. She was also cleaned on the Enerblood staining her body. Optimus had also taken it upon himself to reattach the locket he had given her for her birthday around her neck, saying that she looked like a stranger without it.

After everything was done, Smokescreen began to tell them everything he went through. How Megatron interrogated him about the Omega Keys. How he used Talida against him as leverage. How he discovered the intentions of the Omega Keys and why they were so desperate to keep them out of his grasp. How he escaped. Everything except for Project Aeon, which he would tell them about on another day.

"Did I tell ya?! Destiny! Alpha Trion knew I'd keep it safe!" Smokescreen cheered, causing Arcee to sigh in frustration.

Rather than go off at Smokescreen again and give him another lecture, she said, "Nice work, kid."

"**But Megatron had three of the four Omega Keys. Why did you only grab two?**" Bumblebee asked.

"It was the only key in Megatron's vault!" Smokescreen defended himself.

"Then three keys are accounted for," Optimus proclaimed.

"Then the fourth is still somewhere on the 'Con's warship," Bulkhead grumbled.

"Unless…Megatron never had it to begin with," Arcee shrugged.

"The high frequency signal!" Ratchet cried as he saw another signal from Starscream pop up, "With an embedded message."

"Starscream," Bulkhead snarled.

"I have obtained something of interest to you which used to be of no practical use to me," Ratchet read.

"It's gotta be the Omega Key!" Bulkhead cried.

"He's the one who blindsided me!" Smokescreen gaped.

"What else could he be referring to?" Arcee scoffed.

"Yip! Yip!" Ratchet cut in, "There's more. Bring medical kit. I only ask for the surgical placement of my T-Cog in return."

Bulkhead laughed before scoffing in disbelief, "Like we're gonna give 'Scream back his wings!"

"Without the missing key, Cybertron will remain devoid of life!" Ratchet reminded everyone, showing how desperate he was to revise his old home.

"Broken record, I know. But…it could be a trick," Arcee warned.

"It's possible that Starscream does not yet realize the significance of what it holds," Optimus stated.

"And we do know that he has been incapable of flight for some time," Ratchet added.

Optimus thought things over for a brief moment before finally deciding, "The stakes are too great for us not to consider Starscream's proposal. However, we will partake precautions."

"So what do we do?"

Everyone turned around and gaped at the sound of the voice. They saw Talida clutching her side sitting up on her bed as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn't come back from the dead once again.

"What?" Talida laughed slightly, "Don't tell me you're afraid of ghosts."

"If you pull that joke on us again, I swear to Primus…," Smokescreen trailed off with his threat as Optimus knelt down and hugged her.

When the hug was over, Talida was straight down to business as she usually was.

"Dad's right about you guys having to take precautions with this…_meeting_. Sure. The Intel that Starscream provided to us in the past has proven to be credible. But, if there's one thing Starscream certainly will do, it's cover his aft and hide. He's double-crossed us in the past," Talida pointed out.

"How are you as if nothing has happened?" Ratchet asked.

"Believe me when I say it's not without difficulty," Talida winced slightly as the burning pain shot up her side again, "Primus, it's like Cybertron all over again!"

"The situation is too desperate, Talida. Despite the risks that lie in this rendezvous, this is one opportunity we cannot afford to waste," Optimus rumbled.

"Yeah, I know. Cybertron's future depends on us obtaining those four keys. You've only told us this ten thousand times," Talida said dryly before saying, "Still, if Starscream holds any ounce of loyalty in him, it's loyalty to himself. …Basically, he's the Decepticon version of Sentinel Prime. Brilliant strategist. Someone you don't want to mess with. But above all that, he's a cowardly bastard."

"Well said," Arcee complimented, remembering the abuse she had to endure during her brief, yet torturous, time under Sentinel Prime's command.

"Want me to go with you?" Talida asked as she went to stand up.

"Zip yip yip!" Ratchet protested as he pushed Talida back onto the bed, "You've only been operated on just over this past hour! You are nowhere near being cleared for duty."

"This is an all-in situation. We don't have another choice!" Talida objected.

"Your health is too important to damage, sweetspark," Optimus cut in, "We will need you to be well for the long run."

"Fine," Talida sighed, knowing better than to argue with her father…most of the time.

* * *

Something that the Autobots observed was the fact that Starscream hadn't included an extra note that specifically told Ratchet to meet up with him alone. They assumed that it was because he knew that it wouldn't happen either way. That much was true by Optimus and Bulkhead deciding to accompany him. Arcee, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Talida remained behind at the base. Bumblebee stood by Talida while Arcee stood by the GroundBridge controls and Smokescreen stood by the open GroundBridge in case anything happened.

"There!" Bulkhead called as he saw Starscream slouched against the tree.

"Starscream, show us the Omega Key," Optimus instructed, earning no response.

The lack of response confused him. So he and Bulkhead approached the enemy. Ratchet remained a few steps behind due to his limited abilities in self-defense.

"Give it up, Scream," Bulkhead grunted as he nudged Starscream with his blaster.

To their surprise, Starscream didn't make a sound. Instead, he fell onto his side. Immediately, they assumed the worse.

"We're too late. A T-Cog won't help him now," Ratchet decreed as he knelt before him.

What they didn't realize was the lifeless husk of Starscream was actually a decoy. Ratchet was examining the remains of Starscream's clone from when said clone tried to kill him after its failure in carrying out Megatron's assassination. Starscream – the REAL Starscream – had given himself another dose of Red Energon so he could race past the Autobots and into the open GroundBridge. That was exactly what he did as he sped into the Autobot base and past Smokescreen, Arcee and Bumblebee, the lights flickering above him. Starscream didn't even glance at Talida on the hospital bed.

"It would seem I have the run of the place," Starscream couldn't help but remark before approaching Arcee, "Oh, how easy it would be to gut you… To gut all of you… But, first thing's first… Where does Optimus keep his key ring?"

Starscream's first stop was the hallway that was filled with everyone's quarters. He walked past Talida's room and had this to say,

"Too girly!"

The next room he went past was the nursery Optimus had built for Cayden. Opening the door, he saw that Cayden was lying on his tiny berth in recharge. Just by looking at him, he knew that the youngling was Optimus and Arcee's son. He had the opportunity to slit his throat cables and leave with the knowledge that Optimus and Arcee would never be able to find out who killed their child. Then, he decided that it wasn't worth what he had originally come to gain.

Starscream raced towards the vaults and began checking them all one by one. When he checked the first three vaults, he didn't say anything other than to state that the prizes he was looking for in the form of the Omega Keys weren't there. He didn't say anything that anyone would deem to be worth noting until he reached the vault where the Autobots were keeping Airachnid who was still housed in the stasis pod Arcee and Talida had lured her into.

"I was wondering what happened to that wretch," Starscream muttered to himself before reaching another failed vault and screaming out, "Do they think I have all day?!"

The next vault he searched led Starscream to the success he sought after. Hovering in a blue beam in the centre of the room were three Omega Keys.

"Ah… There you are…"

* * *

"Curious… Starscream has been deceased for quite some time," Ratchet observed after running a series of scans on Starscream.

"Well, how's that possible if he just sent us a message?!" Bulkhead asked.

Optimus was quick to realize what had just happened.

"We have been deceived," Optimus proclaimed.

* * *

"Whoa!" Arcee cried as she felt the base shake around her.

"Did anyone else feel that?!" Talida gasped as Bumblebee raced to shield her.

"What was that?!" Smokescreen demanded.

"**What happened?**" Bumblebee wanted to know.

As the fire sprinklers activated, Arcee heard her spark mate's voice over the comm,

"_Arcee, close the GroundBridge now!_"

Time seemed to slow once again as Arcee went to shut down the GroundBridge. Starscream raced into the main room carrying the three Omega Keys they had. For the Autobots, it would have become clear that Starscream had used his missiles to destroy the vault door, reach inside and take the three Omega Keys.

"Now that I have your trinkets, I'm free to slit your throats. Starting with that little sparkling bra-AH!" Starscream gasped in horror as he saw that Arcee was about to close the GroundBridge with him still inside the base, "But as I appeared to be pressed for time…"

Inside the base, time resumed at normal speed once Starscream had left. However, the same couldn't be said for the Autobots at the rendezvous point. Optimus was saying something as he, Bulkhead and Ratchet prepared to fight. However, the distortion that went on around Starscream left him unable to understand what the Prime was saying due to his deep, medium-speed speech patterns.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Starscream tormented as he walked past them, "You Autobots think you're so superior. But you know what you really are? SLOW!"

That was befoe Optimus began moving at normal speed and aimed his blasters.

"The Red Energon wore off, didn't it?" Starscream chuckled nervously.

"He has the Omega Keys!" Ratchet cried.

Starscream screamed like a little girl as he fired a missile at Ratchet and Bulkhead. The medic and the former Wrecker dove out of the way in time, forcing the missile to explode upon contact with the ground. Starscream raced through the forest, one arm clutching the Omega Keys and the other fumbling with the GroundBridge remote.

"Come on!" Starscream muttered as he fumbled with the remote.

As the Autobots began shooting at the rogue in the hopes of stopping him and reclaim the Omega Keys, Starscream managed to open a GroundBridge. Desperately, Optimus tried to catch him, not wanting to leave the fate of Cybertron in Starscream's hands. To their horror, they was unable to reach Starscream. The former Decepticon had raced through the GroundBridge, which slammed shut before them.

When the race began, they were successful with obtaining the first Omega Key. But the price they had to pay was when Megatron supposedly killed Talida. Afterwards, Megatron obtained the second Omega Key then Starscream took the third. The fourth was inside Smokescreen the entire time and they got that and the second key. Then they discovered that Talida was, in fact, alive and injured. However, finding the techno-organic they loved the most had its price.

"NO!" Optimus roared in despair.

"We'll get them back," Bulkhead vowed.

"The keys can be of no use to Starscream while he scrounges in the wild like a Scraplet. There must be something we can offer him in exchange!" Ratchet pleaded.

"The fate of Cybertron now rests in Starscream's hands. Whatever his intentions," Optimus rumbled darkly.

* * *

"I beg you, my liege! Release me from this absurd predicament!" Knock Out begged Megatron and Dreadwing.

"No," Megatron decided after a brief moment of 'contemplation', "You shall serve as a constant reminder to those who dare fail me."

With those words said, Megatron and Dreadwing walked away, leaving Knock Out trapped in the wall after his brief struggle with Smokescreen before his escape. As Megatron walked to the bridge, he vowed to Dreadwing,

"I cannot allow Optimus Prime to be the one to revive Cybertron! We will locate the Autobot base, invade it and retrieve the Omega Keys!"

"Been there, done that."

Looking up at the source of the voice, they glanced at the figure in horror. Starscream had somehow found his way aboard the Nemesis and is standing by the computers as if he had the run of the place.

"Please pardon my unannounced visit, Lord Megatron," Starscream began as he bowed towards Megatron.

When Dreadwing went to aim his signature cannon at Starscream, Megatron placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. If anyone was going to kill Starscream, it was going to be him. Also, he was interested in knowing what he had to say.

"But I come with peace offerings," Starscream finished as he unveiled his offer.

The four Omega Keys.

"_No! You can tell 'em all now!  
I don't back up! I don't back down!  
I don't fold up! And I don't bow!  
I don't roll over! Don't know how!  
_

_I don't care where the enemies are!  
Can't be stopped! All I know, go hard!  
Won't forget how I got this far!  
For every time saying…_

_In these promises broken,  
__Deep below!  
__Each word gets lost in the echo!  
__So one last lie I can see through!  
__This time I finally let you…  
__(GO)! Go… (GO!) Go… (GO!) Go…  
__(GO!) Go… (GO!) Go… (GO!) Go…_"

* * *

**Well, that one took me a while to write. But…school's been a bitch and I have a Maths assignment that's due Monday that I really need to work on. So I'm gonna have to be quick. So far, here are the poll results.**

**Talida: four votes (57%)  
****Arcee: three votes (42%)  
****Miko: zero votes (0%)**

**Looks like Talida's a popular choice. No trailer this time because it's an original chapter. Actually, there's going to be two original chapters in a row. I'd say that hasn't been done in a while but…there's **_**Fading Light**_**. That's full of some original chapters that carry the same plot as the Orion Pax saga.**

**Oh! Something else I'm gonna add. The full Talida Prime series in chronicle order. It's gonna be the title, publication – completion date and what the story covers in terms fo the actual show.**

_**Talida Prime: Rising Darkness**_** – November 29 2011 to February 17 2012 – entire season one  
**_**Talida Prime: Fading Light**_** – February 17 2012 to January 13 2013 – Orion Pax saga  
**_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_** – January 20 2013 to June-July 2013 – Operation: Bumblebee to Darkest Hour  
**_**Talida Prime: Fading Suns**_** – to be published upon completion of **_**Rising Storms**_** – first four episodes of Beast Hunters  
**_**Talida Prime: Rising Seas**_** – to be published upon completion of **_**Rising Suns**_** – final nine episodes of Beast Hunters**

**As for whether or not I am going to continue the Talida Prime series into the new Transformers show that is going to air after the ending of the Prime continuity, I will not know for certain until the show actually airs. I may decide that there is nowhere to put Talida in that show. So until further notice, **_**Rising Seas**_** is the final story in the Talida Prime series…and it's a working title. I need to find a better title.**

**Anyway, gotta go. Apologies for the long wait. Again, BLAME SCHOOLWORK! You guys should know the drill by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	24. When You Say Nothing at All

**OK. I'm gonna do two poll updates each chapter. One in the opening author's notes and one in the closing author's notes. They do tend to change. And with how long it takes me to update because of school, it'll change big time. Here's how they stand as I type this opening author's note:**

**Arcee: five votes (45%)  
****Talida: four votes (36%)  
****Miko: two votes (18%)**

**Now, we can get on to the REVIEW REPLIES!**

**haloangel21: **_**LOL. Poor Steve when he crashed into the ground after Smokies just like that.**_

_**I hate my mouse at home right now. I would click something, and it would just drift off, messing everything up. It did that with my VideoPad Editor software for my Miko and Bulkhead video. And I just changed the batteries. **__***facepalm**__*****_

**I hate it when that happens. Do you have a mouse pad?**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME CHAPTER! I KNEW SMOKESCREEN WOULD SAVE HER! OOH! I could just kiss him!**_

**Get in line because I want to as well.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**WOW… No one choose Miko? Again, wow… For that last story, how about… 'The Last Stand'. Or does it have to have Rising in the title?**_

**Considering that I'm going with a theme for the titles, yeah. It has to have Rising. Look at the titles of the other stories. Rising Darkness leads to Fading Light. Fading Light leads to Rising Storms. Rising Storms leads to Fading Suns. Where do you think Fading Suns leads to in real life situation?**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**TALIDA'S BACK, BABY! And now the darkest hour is just before dawn.**_

**Could've sworn I heard that in a trailer for Merlin…**

**Bee4ever: **_**PHEW! I'm so glad Talida's been rescued!**_

**Who isn't?  
**

**Guest: **_**Yah, Talida's okay. She's okay right? The cons didn't get a chance to do anything to her?**_

**They were still trying to heal her. They didn't wipe her memories, thank God.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**I knew Talida would be back! You just can keep a strong girl like her down. And Smokey was very brave to help her. Bit I still hate Megatron. I'd kill him, but I'll let Talida and Optimus go first. It's only fair. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to throw up after hearing Megatron's plan. Please update though! ***__**runs off**__*****_

**Well, you should be that glad to know that without a subject, Project Aeon is in the scrapyard.**

**Anon: **_**With all that's happened, one has to wonder what's to come with the last few episodes of season 2. Talida is probably gonna be stuck at base given her wounds, so she won't be a part of the trade off in Darkest Hour. But how will the splitting up work? Will Talida go with Smokescreen? Who's gonna take care of Cayden when it comes to the separation? Ratchet may not be in the mood to do so considering how he was when Raf and Bee found him. If Cayden goes with his mom and Jack, how would one hide a Cybertronian baby in Alt mode?**_

**All those questions will be answered in due time. If you keep on questioning every single detail of the story, you'll end up destroying it for yourself.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Loved the episode! Go, Smokey! And yay, he saved Talida! :D Can't wait for the last two stories. Take your time with the next update, trust me, I know school can be a b*tch.**_

**And it's only gonna get harder. Can't believe that I'm actually saying this. But I wish something epic with the Autobots and Decepticons would happen and in the midst of the battle, the school would be destroyed. Now THAT would be epically awesome!**

**tfp-fan: **_**AWESOME! Something tells me the next chapter will be like a couple of days/a week later when the kids, Fowler and June find out about Talida and she gives them an explanation of how she was in one piece.**_

_**Anyhoo, update whenever you can! I'll be patient! **_

**Nice to know there's someone that will be.**

**lava-x-101: **_**iheea dide that why I dig surfy-fun.**_

**Say what?**

**raddi101: **_**I just had vision hat silas will return. Whoa master oohway moment.**_

**I seriously hope that they don't bring Silas back in Beast Hunters. Although…I doubt they will considering what happened in The Human Factor.**

**lancepm: **_**optimus prime: the wisdom of primus lives within us all.  
**__**Miko: no wonder I feel like king Solomon.  
**__**Jack: MIKO!  
**__**Talida Prime: Rarr! Energon?!  
**__**miko: oh cripes!**_

**That was random.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**When You Say Nothing at All**_** rightfully belongs to Ronan Keating and Polydor Records. (I'm using his version of the song, so…)**

**Also…PLEASE keep going with the contest in naming the unborn baby. So far, I only have one entry. I'm really interested in what you think the name should be. Even if you don't win this main contest, I will personally write a story with an OC named after your entry. Essentially, everyone wins! So please! Keep going with the entries!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_It's amazing how you  
__Can speak right into my heart.  
__Without saying a word,  
__You can light up the dark._

It took Bumblebee three days to gain the courage to ask his leader this question. At first, he thought it wasn't the best time after losing the three Omega Keys they once had in their possession to Starscream after he lured them into a trap. Despite the shock of it passing 48 hours ago, he still didn't step forward and ask. He reasoned because it was his fear that Optimus would say no due to how young she was.

When he first proposed to her, he promised that they would wait until Talida finished school before they made that journey down the aisle together. Then they almost lost her after Optimus and Smokescreen witnessed what they believed to be Megatron killing Talida by slicing her into two. Then Smokescreen found her. She was aboard the Nemesis as part of something that was entitled Project Aeon. Thinking about the project made him want to purge the Energon in his tanks.

Slowly, he walked into the command centre. Optimus was pacing the expanse of the command centre humming a soft lullaby to his son as he lulled him into recharge. Cayden had caught some form of a virus, which left him with a high fever and him refusing his daily bottles of low-grade due to it eventually coming back up. Ratchet had reassured the worried parents he would be better by the following night. He wouldn't be fully recovered. But he would be able to stomach some low-grade and the fever would have reduced slightly.

"**Evening, Optimus,**" Bumblebee greeted as he walked into the command centre.

"Evening, Bumblebee," Optimus sighed tiredly as he rocked his son slightly, "What keeps you up at this hour?"

"**A question has been weighing on my mind,**" Bumblebee confessed.

"What troubles you?" Optimus inquired as they sat on the nearby berth together so Optimus wouldn't tire himself from the pacing.

_Try as I may, I could never explain,  
__What I hear when you don't say a thing._

"**It's about Talida,**" Bumblebee began, causing Optimus to look up sharply, "**When I first proposed to her, I wanted to do what would be right. Wait until she had completed her schooling before we would get married. Then…you know, everything with her and Megatron happened and I thought that it would never happen.**"

"Those few days without Talida were hard on everyone here, young one. Myself included. You were not alone with your pain," Optimus reassured the young scout with a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"**Now we have her back, I don't want to risk the chance of that happening again. I am still to talk to Talida about this. But…I wanted to do the right thing and ask for your blessing first before I asked her,**" Bumblebee went on before taking a huge intake and bleeping what he desperately needed to ask him, "**I want to move up the wedding from when we originally planned it to be. To within the next few days if it would be possible. And it would be great if you gave us your blessing.**"

Optimus froze as Bumblebee's words hit him full force like a freight train. Bumblebee had promised to wait until Talida had completed her education before they 'walked down the aisle' when he had come forward and asked for his blessing to propose a month before the incident with Unicron and Megatron. That promise was what made him give the scout his blessing in the first place.

However, he then saw the situation from the view his young scout was holding. Whenever they go off into battle or even on a simple patrol, they never know if they would ever return to the base alive. That was part of the motivation that led him to finally gain the courage to ask Arcee to bond with him in the first place. How could he deny his daughter and the mech he considered a son the same happiness?

"I will allow it. But you can't bond with her. There can only be a marriage ceremony. That will be saved for when Talida has completed her schooling," Optimus amended.

Neither of them knew who cried the most tears of joy at that proclamation.

_The smile on your face,  
__Lets me know that you need me.  
__There's a truth in your eyes,  
__Saying you'll never leave me.  
__The touch of your hand,  
__Says you'll catch me wherever I fall…  
__You say it best…  
__When you say nothing at all…_

When their friends discovered that Talida was in fact alive, they were surprised. They all cried tears of joy as they all held her close, being mindful of her injuries. They came up with a sleepover system that would take place over the next few days. Talida would first sleepover at Miko's before spending a night with Raf, which would be followed by her sleeping over at Jack's before she finally endured a night with Fowler.

As they talked, Miko listened intently to what Talida had to go through during her time without them.

"So basically, if it weren't for Smokescreen, I'd be Megatron's spark mate," Talida finished with a shudder.

"Can I kill him?" Miko asked calmly.

"You just sounded like Jack," Talida joked.

"How are you feeling really?" Miko inquired.

"Well, sometimes it feels like there's a branding iron stabbing me in the side. But other times, I'm OK," Talida answered honestly, "I just take it one step at a time. For the next two weeks, I'm stuck in the base so I don't risk doing more damage. …I guess you're wondering how I survived, huh?"

"We all are, Tally," Miko blurted, "I mean, from the recount Optimus gave everyone and from what I had heard from Bulkhead, nobody else would've been able to survive."

"I'm guessing that Rayna had something to do with it. Or the Matrix within me. Although, if Rayna was 100% behind this, I will not hesitate to kill her in the afterlife."

"Have you ever thought about…your wedding?" Miko questioned.

_All day long, I can hear  
__People talking out loud. (Oooh…)  
__But when you hold me near, (you hold me near…)  
__You drown out the crowd. (The crowd, the crowd…)_

"Every single day since Bumblebee proposed to me," Talida boasted.

"You know what I mean, Tally," Miko rolled her eyes slightly, "Have you ever thought about getting married now?"

"I'm 16!" Talida screeched.

"In Vegas, if Optimus signs a form of consent, you and Bumblebee could get married in any chapel," Miko pointed out.

"I'm not really into a shotgun wedding. I'm a romantic, Miko. I've always wanted the wedding that every little girl dreams of. But…I'm not into the big fairytale weddings with the poofy dresses and the castles and the horse-drawn carriage. I've always wanted a simple wedding. A quiet affair. Only family and close friends," Talida sighed dreamily.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Miko joked as she pretended to vomit in the ice cream carton.

"Hey! I have to eat this too!" Talida exclaimed as she helped herself to some more.

"Girls, you have a visitor."

"Who could that be?" Miko wondered.

It was Bumblebee standing there with his sandy blonde hair and nicely-built holoform.

"I'll leave you two alone," Miko decided as she walked out.

_Try as they may, they can never define,  
What's been said between your heart and mine._

"What are you doing here?" Talida asked.

"I had to see you," Bumblebee answered casually as he sat before her.

"You do realize if Dad catches you-," Talida began warning.

"He knows I'm here," Bumblebee immediately reassured her, "He gave me permission."

"Seriously? My dad who won't even let us share the same room even if we were sleeping on separate beds allowed you to come here when it's supposed to be a night away from boys?" Talida said in disbelief.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," Bumblebee began as he knelt before her and took her hands in his own, "It's about us."

"Not bad news, I hope," Talida prayed jokingly.

"It's good news. Don't worry," Bumblebee chuckled slightly before proclaiming, "I wanna marry you. Right now."

_The smile on your face,  
__Lets me know that you need me.  
__There's a truth in your eyes,  
__Saying you'll never leave me.  
__The touch of your hand,  
__Says you'll catch me wherever I fall…  
__You say it best… (You say it best…)  
__When you say nothing at all…_

"What?" Talida stuttered as she allowed it all to sink in.

"I don't wanna wait any longer because if we do, we might not be around to. And if I were to die within the next week, I wanna die knowing that I married you," Bumblebee declared.

"Dad's gonna kill us," Talida muttered.

"He gave us permission. Didn't take much convincing, actually," Bumblebee mumbled the last sentence so quietly that Talida herself had barely heard it.

If she didn't notice the seriousness that was laced in Bumblebee's blue eyes, she could have sworn that he had a death wish. She couldn't believe that her father – who has been on the fence with their engagement after her near-death experience on Cybertron – would willingly allow her to be married at 16.

"Wait. It's gonna be one of those ceremonies where we have an actual wedding but to certain naked eyes, it's not legal, aren't we?" Talida asked knowingly.

"It's the only way I could get him to agree!" Bumblebee defended himself.

Talida thought about it for a moment. Bumblebee was right about something. If they put off the wedding until later, they may not be alive to actually have it. Something she wants to do before she dies is experience a wedding ceremony. Sure. There was the wedding where her father finally decided to marry Arcee. But since she officiated the ceremony, it didn't count. Then she decided.

"Yes," Talida nodded happily, smiling widely when Bumblebee stood up and kissed her.

They heard Miko's screams of delight outside the door.

_You say it best… (You say it best…)  
__When you say nothing at all…_

The next part they had to do was tell the others of their plans. Each reaction was different.

Ratchet did something that everyone rarely (or have never) seen him do. He rolled his optics and fell face first onto the floor, effectively fainting before them. Arcee could hardly contain her squeals of delight, disturbing her ill son in the progress. Bulkhead nodded and wished them happiness. Optimus was the same.

Miko, who knew the entire time, did nothing. Raf was happy that his parents were finally getting married so they can finally be a real family as planned. While Jack was happy for his sister, he warned Bumblebee that if he hurt her, he would kill him. Fowler was the same way. June was wary at her daughter getting married at a young age until Optimus, Talida, Bumblebee and Fowler reassured her that to certain eyes it wasn't legal.

All in all, everyone was happy.

_The smile on your face,  
__Lets me know that you need me.  
__There's a truth in your eyes,  
__Saying you'll never leave me.  
__The touch of your hand,  
__Says you'll catch me wherever I fall…  
__You say it best… (You say it best…)  
__When you say nothing at all…  
__You say it best… (You say it best…)  
__When you say nothing at all…_

They spent most of the night wide-awake quickly planning their wedding. Immediately, Talida and Bumblebee decided that they wanted their wedding to be at Mount Charleston, saying that it was where they had their first date. The wedding was going to be small and simple. Fowler would officiate the ceremony, allowing Optimus to walk his little girl down the aisle. There would be no bridal party with the exception of Raf who would give them the rings. That would come with the real ceremony.

Something that everyone could agree on is that the 'wedding' was going to be as perfect as a real wedding.

As for the tourists that would be there, they would be none the wiser.

_(You say it best when you say nothing at all…)  
__(You say it best when you say nothing at all…)_

After everyone had gone to bed, Bumblebee snuck into Talida's room and spent the night with her. They did nothing that would be considered inappropriate. They simply laid under her sheets snuggled deeply into one another, enjoying each other's company and the warmth that radiated from their bodies.

"I still can't believe it's happening…," Talida whispered.

"You know it's not legal, right?" Bumblebee reminded her.

"A girl can dream, you know," Talida mumbled, smiling when Bumblebee kissed her head.

"Of course you can, my little dreamer," Bumblebee teased with a smirk.

_The smile on your face…  
__The truth in your eyes…  
__The touch of your hand…  
__Lets me know that you need me…_

"I love you, Talida," Bumblebee murmured sweetly as he pulled her higher on him.

"I love you too," Talida breathed as they nuzzled noses.

In most fairytales, they would say how the story ends with a kiss and that the princess lived happily ever after with her Prince Charming. But for Talida and Bumblebee, it wasn't the end of the story. It was the end of a chapter. A new beginning.

And the ending of that chapter was, as the cliché goes, sealed with a kiss.

_(You say it best when you say nothing at all…)_

_(You say it best when you say nothing at all…)_

* * *

**Do you have any idea how hard it is to write a romantic chapter when, for some very strange reason, you can't stop listening to #ThatPOWER by will. featuring Justin Bieber? That song is ADDICTIVE! Although…something that will. has no talent for is dancing. Unbelievable you say? Watch the music video for the song.**

**Also, I went to see Iron Man 3 a few hours ago. It…was…AMAZING! I highly recommend that you go see it! However, I would advise that you watch the other two Iron Man movies and The Avengers so you can understand what's going on. Also, stay for the post-credits scene. It's pretty cool in a way. Not gonna say what it is, though. To find out, you have to go see the movie yourself.**

**Here's where that poll stands as I end the chapter:**

**Arcee: five votes (45%)  
****Talida: four votes (36%)  
****Miko: two votes (36%)**

**Basically, it's the same as it was at the beginning. Interesting turn of events. Before, Talida was in the running to be the one that would end up pregnant.**

**OK. Gotta run. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	25. I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

_**Here comes the bride… All dressed in white… Sweetly, serenely in the soft glowing white… Lovely to see… Marching to the… Sweet love united for eternity…**_

**Yep. It's that time! It's…THE WEDDING! And the tears stream down my face… I'm a sucker for romance. What can I say?**

**Voting poll results as of now:**

**Arcee: five votes (41%)  
****Talida: five votes (41%)  
****Miko: two votes (16%)**

**Now here's my favourite part of the author's notes: THE REVIEW REPLIES!**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME CHAPTER! So glad the wedding's moved up!**_

**So am I, mate.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Next ch outta be fun… Or funny!**_

**_The Mandarin: I once had this dream of a large wedding Cake, Cybertronian height, and I grabbed the back Optimus's Helm(in his robot), and stuffed his faceplate in the cake… I think it was chocolate._**

**I'd pay to see that!**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: **_**Aww! Tally and Bumblebee are going to get married! Well not legally of course but you know what I mean.**_

**What can I say? You want to experience a wedding whether it's legal or not before you die.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Believe me, I'm glad project aeon is scrapped.**_

_**I feel you. I don't write romance that often but when I do, IT. IS. THE. HARDEST. THING. EVER! Don't think you're alone.**_

_**I wouldn't be married as a teen, but I am squeezing, about bee and Talida getting married! **__***squees**__*** Sorry. I'm just real happy for them! Please update!**_

**Your wish shall be my command.**

**Guest: (1) **_**If you need help with a title, I was thinking something like Rising Fire since the season will be about Predaking, who's a dragon.**_

**(2) **_**Btw my account is WhiteCougarMatrix117 if you think it's a good idea for a title.**_

**That's a good idea. I'll think on it.**

**SapphirePrincess1020: **_**Yay! They're gonna get married!**_

**It'll be a joyous occasion!**

**Guest: **_**Where I'm from, iron man 3 isn't out yet. So don't spoil any of the movie in these author notes okay.**_

**I hold no promises. :P**

**Ninjabot01: **_**I hope the wedding goes to plane and that it is as gd as ops and arcees was. Also not bad it is getting exciting. As for the poll cant decide all liable candicates.**_

**Don't you hate it when that happens?**

**Bee4ever:** _**Awww! So sweet!**_

**Just wait for this one.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**That…. Was… AWESOME! And romantic! :D Please update whenever you can! And take your time.**_

**Always do.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**I should really post more often. O_O  
Anyway, after reading all the chapters that I missed, was pretty excited when you had planned for Talida, and almost regretted that you didn't get far in Project Aeon. XD But, all in all, great chapter(s)! :D I especially love this chapter; it's so cute! And I also like that Talida and Smokey little friendship they had there; how they formed a strong relationship in a few episodes, just as friends. :)**_

_**Keep it up as always!**_

**I'm glad I didn't. I really don't wanna write **_**stories**_** with Megatron.**

**haloangel21: **_**Naw. Cute way to end the chapter with a kiss. And…you already saw Iron man 3? No fair. Ours don't come into theaters until next week.**_

**Which is strange, considering that America normally gets the movies first.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing**_** rightfully belongs to Aerosmith and Columbia/Hollywood/Epic Records.**

**© I also don't own the wedding script.**

**Alert in advance, I couldn't find or come up with a good script that would mention Raf. So…he's not gonna be mentioned. Sorry!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

The wedding took place three days later. As decided, the location was Mount Charleston. Luckily for them, there were no tourists or other weddings going on.

To say that Talida Prime was nervous was the understatement of the century. Her nerves were something that the young techno-organic struggled to believe. Despite being the tender age of sixteen, she has fought numerous battles, witnessed the deaths of innocent people and went to death's door and back more times than she is willing to admit. She can walk into battle without any fears. Yet…something as simple as marrying the man of her dreams made her nervous.

Looking down, she fiddled with her dress after glancing at herself in the mirror. Next to Rayna, she would be considered the most beautiful creature in the universe and the way she was done up certainly supported that statement.

Talida was wearing an ivory embroidered organza wedding dress which had cap sleeves and was done up by a zipper on the back of her dress. Around her waist was a removable pearl detail satin belt. Above the belt, the dress clung to her and seemed to accentuate her figure while below the belt; the dress flowed elegantly until it almost touched the desert sand. There was a small train at the back of the dress, giving her a feminine and show-stopping look. On her feet, she wore ivory shoes with a small heel. Her makeup was minimal. But her eyes were done up with eyeliner and mascara in a way that made her beautiful blue eyes pop. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun with her fringe left alone and a few strands framing her face, which was covered by the top layer of her ivory veil.

Tied around her thigh was a white garter with small intricate blue details around it (not that her father knows about it). Around her neck, she kept the gold locket and on her finger, she was wearing the engagement ring Bumblebee had given to her when he proposed.

"Sweetspark, are you ready?"

When Optimus walked into the tent and Talida turned around to face him, his spark was at a standstill. Like any father, he thought that his daughter always looked beautiful without even trying. But seeing her standing before him in a wedding dress about to be married (albeit not legally to certain eyes) managed to do something that wasn't common but wasn't rare after Talida's birth.

Take his breath away.

"What? Is it that bad?" Talida asked nervously as she fiddled with her dress once again.

"You look beautiful," Optimus murmured with a smile, showing that he truly meant it.

"Thanks, dad," Talida smiled as the two shared a hug.

Raf met them outside of the tent. While they weren't having a bridal party considering the ceremony isn't legal to certain eyes, they still wanted to play the part. And that included having Raf as the ring-bearer for the ceremony. Very much like Optimus, Raf froze at the sight. His mother was beautiful.

"Tally, it's time," Arcee announced as she handed her the bouquet filled with Baby's Breath flowers.

Raf was the first to walk down the aisle with the rings – two simple gold bands. When he met his father at the end of the aisle, he received a hug and was guided to stand next to him.

When Talida walked down the aisle arm-in-arm with her father, Bumblebee felt his jaw go slack and the biggest grin spread across his face. Talida was the same. He cleaned up well with a simple black tuxedo and his hair combed cleanly.

Very much like Optimus and Arcee's wedding, the journey to the end of the aisle seemed to take forever. But eventually, they made it. Fowler stepped forward wearing a tuxedo with a book as the ceremony's officiator.

"Dearly beloved," Fowler began, his voice booming around Mount Charleston, "We are gathered her today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Talida and Bumblebee in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

"I object," Smokescreen began before smirking, "To how long this is gonna take!"

Everyone – even Ratchet – laughed at Smokescreen's cheekiness. It was refreshing. Fowler just rolled his eyes. But he somehow suspected this to happen, realizing that he was talking about the Autobots and remembering the chaos that occurred at the wedding reception that followed Optimus' and Arcee's wedding. Then again, Smokescreen hadn't joined the Autobots then so it would be interesting to see what would happen.

"Who is giving this woman to be married to this man?" Fowler asked with a sigh.

"Her mother and I do," Optimus answered.

With those words said, he lifted Talida's veil, kissed her cheek and took his seat. Miko stood nearby ready to take the bouquet from Talida when the time was right. Talida slid her arm into Bumblebee's, nodding for Fowler to begin.

"Thank you for your sanction. Please take your seats," Fowler requested.

"We can't," Bulkhead stated dryly, indicating there were no seats.

Ignoring the former Wrecker for the time being, he continued the ceremony, "Talida and Bumblebee would like to also thank you all for being here with them today, and for supporting them through everything that it has taken to make this day a reality. They know that your taking the time, and making the journey, took considerable effort for a good many of you and they wanted you all to know the deep appreciation and gratitude that they feel in their hearts for this. All of you are the most important, and have been the most influential people in their lives. All of the time, and conversations, that you have had with Talida and Bumblebee even before they met have helped to make them who they need to be to first find themselves and then each other. You have shared in their best and their worst days, and you are an irreplaceable part of their yesterdays, their today and all of their tomorrows. For all of you are among the greatest gifts that life has given them. All of you are those they can call Family and Friend.

Marriage is the clasping of hands, the blending of two hearts, the union of two lives into one. Your marriage must stand, not by the authority of the state, nor by the seal on your wedding certificate, but by the strength and power of the faith and love you have in one another.

We read in The Prophet, 'True love gives nothing but itself, and takes nothing but from itself, for love is sufficient unto love. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself, to awake at dawn and give thanks for another day of loving, to rest at noon and meditate love's ecstasy, to return home at eventide with gratitude, and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart, and a song of praise unto your lips.' Talida and Bumblebee, I would ask that you both remember to treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage – as they do to every relationship at one time or another – focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight. Now, Talida, will you please pass your flowers? Turn and face one another and join hands to express your vows of love and devotion to one another?"

Bulkhead and Smokescreen went to open their mouths and make a wise-ass comment. However, a murderous glare from Arcee prevented them from doing so. Miko stepped forward and accepted Talida' bouquet.

"Will you please, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, now join your hands and face me?" Fowler requested kindly, smiling as Talida and Bumblebee did so, "Do you, Bumblebee, offer yourself wholly and joyfully, and do you choose Talida as the person with whom you will share your life, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, loving what you know of her, and trusting what you do know?"

"I do," Bumblebee nodded.

"Do you, Talida, offer yourself wholly and joyfully, and do you choose Bumblebee as the person with whom you will share your life, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, loving what you know of him, and trusting what you do know?" Fowler asked.

"I do," Talida whispered.

"Now for the vows. Bumblebee, please repeat after me," Fowler instructed, "I, Bumblebee, take you, Talida, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity."

"I, Bumblebee, take you, Talida, to be my friend, my love, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity," Bumblebee repeated, meaning each and every word as he struggled to hold back his tears of joy.

"Talida, please repeat after me. I, Talida, take you, Bumblebee, to be my friend, my lover, the father of my children and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity," Fowler recited.

"I, Talida, take you, Bumblebee, to be my friend, my lover, the father of my children and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity," Talida promised, a few tears of joy escaping her eyes despite her efforts to hold them back.

"Talida and Bumblebee, there is a song that speaks of a long and winding road and before you met, your lives were on such a road…each going in different directions and seemingly leading two different destinations. But somewhere along the way, you took a fork in the road to a destination called love and today you find yourselves standing together at the entrance of a new path that will join your once separate journeys into one. Before each of there, there is a container of sand. Each container represents the separate journeys you were once on. They also represent your own sets of friends and families that once were apart. I will ask that in a moment, you both blend your individual container of sand together representing the coming together of your friends and family, through your marriage, into one. And as the sand is blended into one container, your once solitary journeys will now be one of companionship, as you walk a single path together into your fiture.

Having this kind of love in your hearts for one another, you have chosen to exchange rings as the sign and seal of the promises you are making to one another today. Rings are very large in their significance. They are made of a precious metal and precious stone and that reminds us that love is neither cheap nor common; indeed, love is very costly and dear to us. These rings are also made in a circle and their designs tell us that we must keep love continuous throughout our whole lives even as the circle of the ring is continuous. As you wear these rings, whether you are together or apart for even just a moment, may these rings be a constant reminder of the promises you are making to one another this day," Fowler said before turning to Bumblebee, "Do you have a ring for Talida?"

Taking this as his cue, Raf stepped forward with the pillow the rings rested on. Kneeling down slightly, Bumblebee accepted the gold band that was the smallest. Talida's hands were small and delicate and the ring had to be carefully sized.

"Bumblebee, will you please take this ring and place it upon the fourth finger of Talida's left hand, and holding her hand in yours, please repeat this promise to Talida, saying after me?" Fowler requested kindly before reciting the words, "With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving husband."

"With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving husband," Bumblebee recited as he slid the ring onto Talida's finger above her engagement ring, hardly able to contain his smile and tears of joy as he did so.

"Do you have a ring for Bumblebee?" Fowler asked Talida, causing her to kneel down and take the ring off the pillow Raf was holding up, "Talida, will you please take this ring and place it upon the fourth finger of Groom's left hand, and holding his hand in yours, please repeat this promise to Bumblebee, saying after me: with this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving wife."

"With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving wife," Talida echoed as she slid the ring onto Bumblebee's finger, smiling happily as she did so.

"Here it comes," Arcee murmured excitedly, causing the boys to laugh.

"I now ask that you blend your containers of sand together," Fowler instructed, watching as Talida and Bumblebee did so **(AN: I have no idea how to describe this as I've never seen this occur so don't ask me to.)**, "As the sand has blended together, your lives are now joined. Your friends and family are as one as well, for now you will share those who are in your lives and will walk hand-in-hand along the path of your marriage-united and strong as husband and wife.

May these two find happiness in their matrimony; may they live faithfully together, may they ever remain compassionate. May years be rich in joys of life, and their days be long upon the earth.

Talida and Bumblebee, you have come here today before us and before God – or Primus in your case – and have expressed your desire to become husband and wife. You have shown your love and affection by joining hands, and have made promises of faith and devotion, each to the other, and have sealed these promises by the giving and the receiving of the rings. Therefore, it is my privilege and by the authority given to me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce that you are husband and wife. Bumblebee, you may kiss your bride."

Neither of them expected Bumblebee to do what he did after the proclamation. He grabbed Talida's waist, pulled her into a tango bow and kissed her passionately. Everyone applauded, clearly happily for the 'newlywed' couple. After what seemed like forever, the couple pulled away and walked up the aisle together.

_I could lie awake just to hear you breathing.  
__Watch you smile while you are sleeping.  
__While you're far away dreaming._

They had a small party when they returned to Autobot Outpost Omega One. Wheeljack had even called to pass on his congratulations and check on them. All in all, they were having an amazing time.

"I love you," Bumblebee whispered.

"I love you," Talida whispered back.

_I could spend my life in this sweet surrender…  
__And just stay here lost in this moment forever…  
__Well, every moment spent with you,  
__Is a moment I treasure…_

"Never thought she'd be doing this now?" Arcee guessed as they danced together with Cayden.

"She's only 16," Optimus reminded her, "She's too young to be making a step like this."

"Then what made you decide to let her?" Arcee inquired, confused as to why he allowed this to happen while he protested it.

"Because I wanted to do the same to you," Optimus confessed.

Arcee smiled as the two shared a kiss, only to have it disrupted as Cayden moved around in his mother's arms, trying to get comfortable as he was lulled to sleep by their movements.

_I don't wanna close my eyes…  
__I don't wanna fall asleep.  
_'_Cause I'd miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

"I almost envy them," Miko muttered as she saw Talida and Bumblebee laugh together as they danced with Raf, "I'm sure everyone wants a relationship with them."

"That may be so," Jack agreed before saying, "But I think we have something better."

"What's that?" Miko asked.

"Something that's ours," Jack decreed with a smile as they went to kiss.

"Where's Talida and Bumblebee?!" Ratchet suddenly asked.

They looked around, noticing that the couple of the hour have indeed gone missing. Then they noticed two items in front of the GroundBridge. Talida's bouquet of Baby's Breath flowers and the garter she wore underneath her dress. They also noticed that the GroundBridge had been activated. Raf's smile gave it away.

They wanted to be alone.

'_Cause even when I dream of you…  
__The sweetest dream will never do.  
__I'd still miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

"Everyone's gonna be looking for us," Talida laughed as Bumblebee carried her up the hill.

"Don't care. It's our night. We should spend it alone," Bumblebee retorted, earning an eye-roll from Talida as he set her down.

"Oh my God. When was the last time we were here?" Talida asked, looking at the cabin and the city of New York behind them.

"Raf was born," Bumblebee shrugged casually as he led her inside.

_Lying close to you,  
__Feeling your heart beating.  
__And I'm wondering what you're dreaming._

Her smile portrayed her feelings as they walked back into the rustic cabin. Everything was the same. The living room was the way they left it. Clean and tidy. The fireplace was lit, indicating that Bumblebee had come here just before. The kitchen and dining room just off from the living room. Their bedroom down the hall and the guest room they had temporarily transformed into a nursery. Everything was the way they left it.

"You planned this," Talida realized as Bumblebee placed more wood in the firing place.

"I'm nothing if I'm not romantic," Bumblebee smirked as he stood up, dusting himself off.

_Wondering if it's me you're seeing…  
__Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together…  
__And I just wanna stay with you.  
__Just stay in this moment forever, forever and ever…_

"I always missed this place," Talida confessed as Bumblebee slid off his jacket and undid his bow tie.

"We could have always come back," Bumblebee reminded her.

"There was always something that got in the way," the nearly-seventeen-year-old retorted.

Bumblebee understood what she meant by something always getting in the way. The war was a full-time commitment that allowed little time for themselves. Silently, the young scout began wondering how Optimus and Arcee managed to do what they did in terms of them bonding and later having an energetic sparkling.

"Not anymore," Bumblebee swore as he held out his hand, "Shall we dance?"

"We shall," Talida smirked as she took his hand.

_I don't wanna close my eyes…  
__I don't wanna fall asleep.  
_'_Cause I'd miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

Talida laughed as Bumblebee dipped her and pulled her against him once again. There was no music. No noise except for the crickets outside their little cabin. Their only light was the glow from the ember of flames inside the fireplace. Everyone else might say that this was a sickeningly sweet and romantic cliché. But Bumblebee and Talida lived for the sickeningly sweet and romantic clichés. The sickeningly sweet and romantic clichés were what made their relationship the way it was.

Perfect.

'_Cause even when I dream of you…  
__The sweetest dream will never do.  
__I'd still miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

When they stopped dancing, Talida walked out towards the small back patio. Smiling softly, she took in the sight of the forest shining with the moon and the stars. The crickets chipped all around her and the wind was soft and gentle. However, it was also brisk and Talida soon found herself rubbing her arms trying to rid herself of the goose bumps that were beginning to form on her bare skin.

"Knew I'd find you out here," Bumblebee smirked as he draped his jacket over her shoulders.

"I always loved being here," Talida confessed, "This entire place was our backyard."

"You would be lost in there for hours and have me and Arcee close to ripping our hair out," Bumblebee laughed.

"At the time, I was a four-year-old girl trapped in the body of a sixteen-year-old. Even though I gained some intelligence, I still had my famous curiosity!" Talida defended herself.

"What do you mean 'had'?" Bumblebee asked, a knowing smirk on his face.

"Oh, shut up," Talida grumbled with a smile as she lent into Bumblebee's embrace.

_I don't wanna miss one smile.  
__I don't wanna miss one kiss.  
__Well, I just wanna be with you.  
__Right here with you, just like this._

"Do you regret this? The whole ceremony?" Bumblebee asked as he spun her round in his embrace and tightened his hold on her, squishing her against his broad chest.

"I never could," Talida whispered as she gave him a short, sweet kiss on the mouth.

_I just wanna hold you close.  
__Feel your heart so close to mine.  
__And stay here in this very moment,  
__For all the rest of time…_

For them, the short sweet kiss wouldn't be enough to satisfy them. Bumblebee immediately initiated the kiss again, making it more passionate and intense. With a swift movement, he had her in his arms and was carrying her towards their room, never breaking the kiss.

Talida smiled softly as he laid her on the mattress and held himself over her body. They broke the kiss and stared at each other intensely, their eyes searching their souls. When they saw no hesitation, they resumed their kiss and Bumblebee's hands reached for the clasp of her removable belt.

_I don't wanna close my eyes…  
__I don't wanna fall asleep.  
_'_Cause I'd miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

When midnight rolled around, the couple was snuggled together under the covers. Talida's head was resting on his chest over where his spark would be. Her eyes were closed as she slept peacefully. Bumblebee treasured this. Moments like these were rare at best. So they never took them for granted.

'_Cause even when I dream of you…  
__The sweetest dream will never do.  
__I'd still miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

"I love you," Bumblebee murmured as he kissed her forehead.

He fell asleep himself as soon as he leant back against his pillow. Sure. Everyone back at base would kill them for doing what they were doing. But they didn't care.

They were alone. They loved each other.

That was what mattered.

_I don't wanna close my eyes…  
__I don't wanna fall asleep.  
_'_Cause I'd miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

Dreadwing remembered watching on the screen when he learnt the fate of his brother. It was the reason he left the control room and headed towards the roof. He needed to breath before he lost it and performed an action he would regret. However, it didn't necessarily stop the memories echoing around inside his mind.

**Begin flashback  
****As per Megatron's orders, Dreadwing and Knock Out were in the next room watching the memories from inside Starscream's mind on the monitor. When Starscream announced his intentions to rejoin, Megatron was weary. Something he would never forget was the attempts Starscream made on his life. So he decided to scan his mind to find out his ulterior motives.**

**Then they reached the day Skyquake was killed by the Autobots. Dreadwing cringed ever-so slightly as he watched his twin's brutal murder. Despite having watched this footage multiple times, he still cringed. His spark burned at the pain of witnessing his twin's demise.**

**But it would only get worse.**

**He saw Starscream walk towards the grave the Autobots made for his twin. In his hands, he saw the shard of Dark Energon he had originally plucked from Megatron's chest cavity the day he was discovered floating in space. His optics burned in anger as he witnessed Starscream breaking the shard into two and throwing one half into Skyquake's grave. Even more when he discovered what had become of his twin.**

"_**I understand he perished that day.**_**"**

"_**Well, Skyquake is neither living nor dead and no doubt continues to wonder through some other dimensional nether-realm in search of his missing limb.**_**"**

"_**It would be wise to keep that to yourself around the warship.**_**"**

**"Awkward…," Knock Out said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his helm.  
****End flashback**

'_Cause even when I dream of you…  
__The sweetest dream will never do.  
__I'd still miss you, babe.  
__And I don't wanna miss a thing…_

And that was how Dreadwing found himself on the rooftop of the warship. Around him, the rain drenched his body and threatened to make him rust. The lightning cackled around him and threatened to strike him true. The thunder roared around him and threatened to drown him out.

But nothing could stop him from unleashing his anger in one, powerful scream.

_Don't wanna close my eyes…  
__Don't wanna fall asleep, yeah…  
__I don't wanna miss a thing…_

* * *

**Wow. This was fun to write. I can't wait to write the next chapter. I'll close the poll after I finish writing the opening author's note for the chapter.**

**Poll hasn't changed. But I can't have it be a tie. Hmm…if there is a tie, I will eliminate the option with the fewer votes and leave the poll open for a little while longer and have the two in the tie fear of the possibility of them being pregnant.**

**You guys know what to do. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	26. All American Girl

**Yo, yo, yo! Here we go!**

**This was won by unanimous decision. Never before have I seen such overwhelming votes.**

**Not gonna say now. But I will say this.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: Amen, brother.**

**Awesomo3000: Don't I always?**

**VDSWarriorQueen: My point exactly.**

**tfp-fan: I did a face palm. And that ending there, that was as close to doing Patch as I was going to get.**

**dx-1118: Why yes. Yes it does.**

**Guest: Maybe…**

**Autobot Shadowstalker: So do I.**

**Guest: I always update, don't I?**

**storygirl99210: Two things. First, I prefer the term making love. Second, what Optimus doesn't know won't hurt them…**

**Bee4ever: Well, they're married. They need time alone.**

**Nephilim Prime 115: I update when I can.**

**MANS1AY3R: I write whatever smut I please to. And…well, come on! It's Ratchet! The dude needs to unwind!**

Guest: Oh my God! Not another Whovian! Please say you're one of the normal Whovians!

**haloangel21: Draw away, my good friend. *****holds drawing pad and pencils in a tempting manner***** Just draw away…**

**Autobot StarRacer: Thanks!**

**viral prime: I wouldn't know anything about that.**

**lada4.0: Rising Darkness leads to Fading Light. Fading Light leads to Rising Storms. Rising Storms leads to Fading Suns. What does Fading Suns lead to?**

**yuriahann: Da fudge cakes?**

**VectorSigma101: Thanks!**

**radme4-100: Again. Da fudge cakes?**

**sadnews4me: It was all over the news. And it will be the only time I support the death penalty, considering one of the casualties was an 8-year-old boy. GIVE HIM THE NEEDLE, I SAY!**

**Guest:****It would, wouldn't it?**

**Arielle Prime14: True…**

**Guest: There's that.**

**Stopmotiontk421:Thanks!**

**Jetstorm'sGirl: (1) Amen, amen.**

**(2) Thanks for the heads up.**

**lancepm: I'm not exactly studying for a test. But I do have a lot of assignments and I have virtually no time to work on my stories. Seriously. School is crazy and it is a living prison!**

**jajastar1-100: Say wha?**

**Guest: They're not all bad ideas.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**All-American Girl**_** belongs to Carrie Underwood and Arista Nashville Records.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_Since the day they got married,  
__He'd been praying for a little baby boy…  
__Someone he could take fishing.  
__Throw the football. Be his pride and joy…_

She had recognized the symptoms, having gone through the same thing before. This wouldn't be the first time she would be giving birth to a child of her own, having another son of her own. But the fear never failed to strike her down. After all, they were in the middle of a war. Children were dangerous to have right now. The threat didn't stop the birth of her son, who she loved very much.

So why would it stop her from having this child?

_He could already see him holding that trophy.  
__Taking his team to state…  
__But when the nurse came in with a little pink blanket,  
__All those big dreams changed…_

Even before Ratchet had told her himself, she knew that she was pregnant again. And she also knew that it was a girl. Something in her spark told her it was a girl. Still, Ratchet's revelation didn't fail to shock her or make her wear a big smile. Ratchet, on the other hand, only muttered his congratulations before walking away, saying that he was making plans to hit the father in the head with his wrench multiple times.

She only smiled and rested her hand on her stomach where her child was growing.

_And now, he's wrapped around her finger.  
__She's the centre of his whole world.  
__And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect,  
__All-American girl…_

She had a few obstacles left to go. Among them was somehow telling everyone about the pregnancy. She was only four weeks along. So it shouldn't be a complication. Then again, she remembered how overprotective her lover would be. Knowing him, he would confine her to the base for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Smiling softly, she remembered the romantic night they had spent together after the conception of their child.

_Sixteen short years later,  
__She was falling for the senior football star…  
__Before you knew it, he was dropping passes.  
__Skilling practice just to spend more time with her…_

The night was as romantic as it was the first time…without the complications that were looming over them at the time. The spark they had before was still there. In fact, the spark between them had grown stronger with their love. He was gentle yet violent. Tender yet rough.

And…_oh_, her spark went wild just thinking about it.

_The coach said, "Hey, son. What's your problem?  
__Tell me. Have you lost your mind…?"  
__Daddy said, "You'll lose your free ride to college.  
__Boy, you better tell her goodbye…"_

Without realizing it, she allowed herself to daydream about her daughter. She imagined her father shedding tears of joy when he held her for the first time like he did with their son. She imagined the father keeping her away from all the boys in the hopes of her being his little girl forever. She imagined her daughter being anything she wanted to be.

The best part of it was that she was there for all of that.

_But now, he's wrapped around her finger.  
__She's the centre of his whole world…  
__And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect,  
__All-American…_

Now the worst part was to come. Telling her other half about him becoming a father all over again. She didn't know how he would react. Would he be angry? Would he be happy? Would he be unsure? So many questions flew through her mind. So much fear weighed heavily in her stomach.

There was doubt and happiness inside of her.

_And when they got married and decided to have one of their own,  
__She said, "Be honest. Tell me what you want."  
__And he said, "Honey, you oughta know…"_

"Can we talk?" she asked him.

With a single nod, he followed her to their room, confusing the others. But not Ratchet. He smiled knowingly. When everyone else turned to ask him, he only said,

"That's for them to tell you."

When they were alone, he knelt before her and asked worriedly,

"Is everything alright?"

"Promise you won't freak out," she pleaded.

"What is wrong?" he demanded, already starting to get worried.

"I'm pregnant…again," she told him.

_A sweet, little, beautiful one just like you.  
__I want a beautiful, wonderful, perfect All-American girl…_

First, Optimus was frozen in shock. Arcee was pregnant again? First, he was worried. Was it really a good idea to have another sparkling with Cayden still at a young age? When they discuss having more sparklings, they decided that they would wait until Cayden was a bit older and able to deal with being a big brother. However…it was kind of his fault due to his inability to keep his hands off of her. Then he broke out in a big smile.

"Is it a boy or…?" Optimus trailed off hopefully.

"It's a girl," Arcee smiled warmly.

If it was even possible, Optimus' smile grew even bigger. Something that Optimus always wanted was to have another little girl. He enjoyed raising Talida into the young woman she had become – strong, intelligent, beautiful, caring. He wanted to do that all over again and maybe right the wrongs that occurred as he raised her while being a nervous first-time father.

_Now, he's wrapped around her finger.  
__She's the centre of his whole world…  
__And his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfect,  
__All-American girl…_

Arcee laughed happily as Optimus knelt even lower and kissed her stomach, where their child was developing. She stroked his helm lovingly as he rested his forehead on her stomach over where her reproduction chamber would be. They laughed in joy as they felt their daughter move around inside of her.

They spent the rest of the day in their room discussing their child's future. Particularly, what they were going to name her.

They would tell the others later. Right now…

They just wanted to enjoy the moment.

_All-American girl…_

* * *

**If you can't tell, Arcee won the poll. Here's the final result:**

**Arcee: fourteen votes (51%)  
****Talida: ten votes (37%)  
****Miko: three votes (11%)**

**Hopefully, I won't take as long as I did for next chapter. But knowing me, it'll take forever AGAIN! Blame school as usual.**

**Now, for the first time in three chapters, here's the summary for the next Transformers Prime episode, Regeneration:**

**The quest for the Omega Lock continues when the Autobots and Decepticons battle on Cybertron.**

**Now, I can say this…**

**PROMO TIME!**

* * *

_Optimus: We must embark on this mission with every resource at our disposal._

_Talida: And to think the stakes were high before._

**Next time on Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

_Optimus: With the Forge of Solus Prime, we now possess the means of reaching Cybertron._

_**Show Optimus, Arcee, Smokescreen and Bumblebee transforming into bipedal form**_

_**Show Talida standing on her hover board with her Energy Sword ready to go**_

_Optimus: Megatron must be stopped. No matter the cost._

_Megatron: CRUSH THEM!_

_**Show Autobots and Decepticons charging at one another**_

_Talida: WATCH YOUR SIX!_

_**Show Megatron roaring as he raised his sword ready to strike**_

_**Show Optimus', Megatron's and Talida's swords clashing**_

_Talida: DON'T LET THEM WIN!_

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**I'm seeing a lot of entries with the naming of the new baby contest. KEEP THEM COMING! I've seen a lot of good entries so far. It's gonna be hard to choose when it comes down to it.**

**Also…do you guys want me to do what I did at the end of **_**Rising Darkness**_**? Where I do the extra five song-fics? If I do end up doing it, what songs should I use and what should the chapters be about? It can't be related to **_**Rising Suns**_**, though. And please, for the love of Primus, do NOT suggest Skyfall!**

**OK, you guys should know what to do by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	27. Regeneration

**REVIEW REPLIES! Also, my apologies in advance if I don't reply to your reviews. But…in my defense… THERE WERE SO MANY REVIEWS FROM LAST CHAPTER!  
**

**Guest: **_**For some reason, I can see Talida being either**_

_**A. Jealous  
**__**B. Angry  
**__**Or C. Upset**_

_**That Arcee is having another girl. I don't know. That's just me. Great chapter **_

**That doesn't sound like something Talida would do.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Awwww, Arcee's pregnant again, so cute! **__** The next chapter is gonna be SO EPIC! Take your time with the next update, I promise I'll be patient.**_

**I've heard that before…**

**Sephiroth 200: **_**What about Aurora. Maybe that would be a good name for her. Also I do think you should do the extra 5 song fics.**_

**Hmmmmmm…**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Wow, in the first paragraph I thought it was gonna be Talida… Nice teasr there.**_

**I try.**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME! Arcee is going to have another kid!  
**_

**HORRAY!**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Aw! Arcee is having another baby! How sweet! Please update!  
**_

**Yeah. It is sweet.**

**haloangel21: **_**Awww. I knew it was going to be Arcee. Now we just have to wait and see Optimus's stress levels go up.**_

**That we do.**

**Megatronus117: ***_**sniffles**__*** didn't know prime had a soft spot.**_

_**But PLZ update soon ad check my profile out here's the link:**_

**I'll be sure to do that.**

**Ashley cuadra: (1) **_**Why not Tieria?**_

**What?!**

**(2) **_**Come on guy's I've seen the names and there used in other fanfiction stories Tieria's name hasn't be heard of**_

**Honestly, I'm not a fan of the name.**

**tfp-fan: **_**D'aww, so cute! Update when you can, take you time! **_

**I'll be sure to do that.**

**storyreader: **_**how about Valeria? It means "strong". **_

_**btw, I have a question about the song Skyfall, I'm not asking you to put it in one of the chapters, I'm just wondering: do you like the song itself, as in the lyrics, but wish someone else had sung it? or do you hate it altogether? Again, just curious.**_

**I hate it altogether.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**I KNEW IT! XD  
**_

**Really?**

**Shadow Katakura: **_**I knew Arcee was gonna win! Even though I was hoping it would be Miko, it's still great because Cayden gets a little sister!**_

**There's that benefit.**

**MANS1AY3R: **_**Can she have a Cybertronian name? How about…**_

_**-SunStrike  
**__**-GemStar  
**__**-LunarBlaze**_

_**That's all I got.**_

**They'll be taken into consideration. But I do have other names to choose from.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Awww! Arcee is carrying again! Awesome!  
**_

**It is, isn't it?  
**

**lesly21: **_**Arcee baby girl should be named Blaze ..and Talida baby girl should be named Sarah or Lesly**_

**Arcee's the only one having the baby.**

**Guest: **_**hey, I got two questions about Malita (NOT about her return, so PLEASE don't delay it!):  
**__**1: what do you think her reaction would have been to Starscream dancing? Eye roll, facepalm, turn away in embarrassment, deciding "ah, what the heck" and dancing too, etc?  
**__**2: if you HAD written Patch, what would've Starscream's reaction been to finding out she's no longer with them?**_

**For the first one, she'd be facepalming, then bopping along and dancing as well. For the second one, he'd be surprised and upset.**

**lancepm: **_**is there anything good about your prison cell.**_

**Yes. I do music.**

**lavax-100: **_**dude when are ya gonna let dudette Talida to sing-sing for your fellow surfyz.**_

**I dunno.**

**jarastar1-100: **_**megatron: Malita, I thought you learn your lesson to "never interfere".  
**__**Malita: I am a slow learner, father.  
**__**Miko: ooh, good comeback.**_

**That was a good one.**

**mellowracer1000: **_**uh, dude what's the of that episode where jack races against…um…what's his name again?  
**_

**He races against VINCE in SPEED METAL.**

**Stopmotiontk421: **_**Awwww! That's sooooo sweet, I bet Optimus was crying. Nice job keep them coming.**_

**Always do.**

**Sadnews4me: **_**depart from me I never knew you. (sniff, sniff)**_

**Huh?**

**jetstormsGirl: **_**Oh my gosh, sooooooo beautiful! I was hoping for Talida, but Arcee was my next choice. So… YAAAAAAAY!**_

**Glad to know I pleased you.**

**WinterSnow13: **_**Everytime I read one of your stories I feel as if I'm actually watching it on TV. You are a very good visualizing author. Great chapter!**_

**Thanks!**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.  
****© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.  
**_**Leave Out All the Rest**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_I dreamed I was missing.  
__You were so scared…  
__But no one would listen.  
_'_Cause no one else cared…_

_After my dreaming,  
__I woke with this fear…  
__What am I leaving?  
__When I'm done here…_

_So if you're asking me,  
__I want you to know…_

_When my time comes,  
__Forget the wrong that I've done!  
__Help me leave behind some,  
__Reasons to be missed…  
__Don't resent me!  
__And when you're feeling empty,  
__Keep me in your memory!  
__Leave out all the rest…  
__Leave out all the rest…_"

"You know, I may not be the first human to go to Cybertron. But I could still be the first human exchange student," Miko boasted from her position on Bulkhead's shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell us about the Omega Keys before?" Jack questioned Arcee.

"You probably didn't notice. But things have been intense around here lately," Arcee shrugged.

"So, you guys could really be going home soon, huh?" Raf sighed.

"Don't worry, Raf. You can come visit. Once we get our place set up, you can bunk with us. Right, Bulk?" Miko asked Bulkhead hopefully.

"Er, Miko…," Bulkhead began nervously.

"You are taking me with you, right?" Miko inquired nervously.

"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves here?" Ratchet questioned, effectively silencing everyone and earning their undivided attention, "Not only do we possess any actual method of reaching Cybertron. But Starscream now controls the sole means of our planet's restoration."

"As far as we know," Optimus cut in.

"You think Starscream's rejoined the 'Cons?" Smokescreen guessed.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Talida asked dryly, speaking for the first time since the conversation began.

"He may have used the Omega Keys to buy back Megatron's favor," Arcee stated.

"Again, doesn't surprise me," Talida shook her head.

"Without first trying to sell them to the highest bidder?" Ratchet scoffed in disbelief, "It wouldn't surprise me if he had the nerves to contact us and-!"

The computer bleeped as soon as Ratchet said those words to the others.

"OK. That's weird," Bulkhead remarked.

"You said it," Talida agreed as she raced forward.

"Is it Starscream?" Arcee asked.

"No. It is Dreadwing," Ratchet corrected, "And he wants us to meet."

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME  
**_

"_Don't be afraid…  
__I've taken my beating.  
__I've shared what I made…_

_I'm strong on the surface.  
__Not all the way through…  
__I've never been perfect.  
__But neither have you…_

_So if you asking me,  
__I want you to know…_

_When my time comes,  
__Forget the wrong that I've done!  
__Help me leave behind some,  
__Reasons to be missed…  
__Don't resent me!  
__And when you're feeling empty,  
__Keep me in your memory!  
__Leave out all the rest…  
__Leave out all the rest…_"

Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Smokescreen and Talida bridged themselves to the coordinates Dreadwing provided for them in their message. After the Autobots transformed into their respective bipedal forms, everybody armed themselves with their respective weapons.

"Drop your weapons!" Arcee instructed.

"Hands where we can see them!" Smokescreen piped in.

"No sudden movements!" Talida warned.

"I am not here to fight," Dreadwing decreed as he slowly emerged from the fog, "But to give you this."

It was then that everyone looked towards the ground where Dreadwing was pointing. It was then that they noticed the familiar relic that laid on the ground before them.

"The Forge of Solus Prime!" Arcee gasped in surprise.

"Could be rigged to blow," Bulkhead stated, recalling how Dreadwing was partial to his signature bombs.

"Dreadwing, what do you ask in return?" Optimus wanted to know.

"Only that you use it wisely," Dreadwing answered.

"And the Omega Keys?" Arcee pressed.

"In Megatron's possession under heaviest guard," Dreadwing revealed.

"Scream did make a deal with the 'Cons!" Bulkhead gasped in horror.

"Why are you doing this?" Talida finally asked.

"A shadow of disgrace has been cast upon the Decepticons. It is a cause that I no longer wish to be part of," Dreadwing confessed.

"Then I appeal to you again," Optimus said as he stepped forward, "Join us and help us end this conflict once and for all."

"Betraying my kind is not the same as accepting yours," Dreadwing shook his head before glancing at Arcee in a way that caused Optimus to push her behind him protectively, "I see the two-wheeler is carrying a little femme. If I were you, I'd take good care of her, Prime. And Talida and your other child as well. Family is something that shouldn't be taken for granted. I implore you, Optimus. Don't make the same mistakes I made."

With those words said, Dreadwing turned around and walked away. When he was close to the edge, he jumped off it and transformed mid-air before taking to the skies, his mind determined to take care of unfinished business.

* * *

"It's no Star Saber. But I reckon it can shatter Megatron's blade and put some dents in that ugly mug of his," Smokescreen shrugged once they had brought the Forge of Solus Prime back to base.

"It's not that kind of hammer," Arcee protested.

"With the Decepticons in possession of all four Omega Keys, a more appropriate use of the Forge would be to use it to replicate our own," Ratchet suggested.

"It's not that simple, Ratchet," Talida objected.

"Talida is right. Even with such power, a reconstruction would require a higher level of expertise I do not possess," Optimus concurred with Talida's objection.

"I guess we'd better hope that Megatron doesn't destroy the keys to prevent anyone from ever going home," Arcee prayed.

"He's too desperate," Talida shook her head.

"Megatron may be evil. But I believe he will use the keys for their intended purpose," Optimus added.

"Well, I say we let him keep them and do the work for us!" Bulkhead suggested, earning glares from everybody else in the room, causing him to scoff, "Well, what difference does it make in who restores Cybertron?!"

"A big one," Talida answered dryly, causing Bulkhead to search for clarification, "If Megatron revives Cybertron, he'll certainly use it to his political advantage. The first thing he'd do with his power is to overthrow Rayna's incarnate: me. And…well, I don't really need to explain what he would do after he does that."

"You lost me," Bulkhead stuttered, causing Talida to sigh, roll her eyes slightly and rest her head into her palm, muttering incoherent Cybertronian to herself.

"After Megatron would be able to overthrow my daughter, it is in all likelihood that the leader of the Decepticons would portray himself as our planet's savior and brand all Autobots as war criminals," Optimus clarified.

"The grand deception continues," Arcee muttered.

"Megatron's so-called achievement would influence Cybertron for eons to come. Poisoning the sparks and minds of its returning citizens. Hardly the ideal way to begin a new age," Ratchet remarked.

"But there is hope," Optimus decreed, earning looks of confusion.

Talida sighed before clarifying, "While Megatron possesses the Omega Keys, he still doesn't know the location of the Omega Lock."

"Omega Lock?!" Bulkhead repeated in confusion.

"Wait. Now you lost me," Arcee admitted.

"That which the four relics were designed to activate. We must locate the device before Megatron does and secure it until we can recover the keys," Optimus proclaimed.

"There are no more Iacon entries to decode!" Ratchet began to protest instantly, "This lock could be anywhere on Earth!"

"The lock isn't here. It's actually on Cybertron," Talida corrected.

"WHAT?!" everyone else exclaimed in surprise.

"How do you know?!" Ratchet demanded.

"Alpha Trion revealed its location to us when he visited us and unlocked the message hidden away in our swords," Optimus answered casually.

"And you didn't think to tell us," Ratchet sighed, clearly offended.

"If it weren't for him, Arcee, Jack and I would be dead. Alpha Trion told us not to tell you. So we didn't," Talida explained.

"With the Forge of Solus Prime, we now possess the means of reaching Cybertron. I must work quickly," Optimus declared.

"Our advantage won't last forever," Talida shrugged as she went down into the control hub of the GroundBridge with her father.

* * *

"Dreadwing."

Dreadwing froze his storming around the Nemesis as Megatron called to him. The first lieutenant struggled to keep his anger over recent events suppressed. The last thing he needed to do was make the situation worse than it already was. So he turned to face his master and pretended to be as loyal as he was before.

"I have been searching for you," Megatron said.

"I am at your service, Lord Megatron," Dreadwing bowed.

"I recognize that Starscream's return to our ranks may be difficult for you. Given the loss of your twin under his command," Megatron began 'sympathetically', "But your cooperation is essential. The Decepticons will be best equipped to rule a restored Cybertron only if we are united."

"Understood. And if it pleases you, master, I intend to reach out to our comrade. Personally," Dreadwing proclaimed.

* * *

"Rise and shine…"

Starscream found himself lying on the medical slab in Knock Out's medical lab. Upon his request, Knock Out performed the surgery that successfully reunited him with the T-Cog he had been surviving without for the past several months.

"Your T-Cog transplant was a success!" Knock Out decreed before gloating, "Yes. I am just that good."

"Finally. I cannot wait to take flight and swore above the clouds," Starscream sighed in relief.

"STARSCREAM!"

Knock Out and Starscream froze in horror at the sound of the booming voice. Normally, they would act like this when Megatron was enraged at a recent unsuccessful mission performed by the underlings among the ranks. However…this was different. This time, the person that was angry was Dreadwing.

"I regret to inform you that you will not live to spread your wings ever again," Dreadwing growled as he prepared his canon for fire.

With a roar in anger, Dreadwing fired the first shot. Starscream and Knock Out cried out as they scrambled to avoid what they knew would end up a fatal shot. The shot that Dreadwing fired hit the medical slab where Starscream's head was. Starscream scrambled into the nearest corner, showing just how cowardly he was.

"Knock Out! Help me!" Starscream begged the medic that was beginning to retreat.

Knock Out said nothing. Fearing for his own life, he raced out of the medical lab. Dreadwing decided that he wanted Starscream to be killed slowly and painfully and his canon would end up finishing the job far before it even started for him. With anger coursing through his veins, he dropped the canon and unsheathed his sword. Starscream, in a desperate hope of defense, grabbed the nearest surgical tool: a scalpel.

"Dreadwing! What has gotten into you?!" Starscream demanded, quivering in fear, only to have Dreadwing destroy the scalpel and continue his advances, "No! Wait! This is about Skyquake, isn't it?! I thought we had put that behind us!"

"SO HAD I!" Dreadwing snarled as he took a swipe, only to miss as Starscream leant back to avoid the sharp sword.

"Casualties are an unfortunate consequence of war! But I assure you your twin met his end with great honor!" Starscream cried, making the situation worse for him.

"WHICH YOU HAVE DISGRACED BY RAISING HIM FROM THE DEAD!" Dreadwing roared in anger.

"Oh, you know about that," Starscream muttered to himself before pleading, "THERE MUST BE SOMETHING I CAN DO! SOME FORM OF REPORATION TO ABLOVIATE YOUR GRIEF!"

"YOUR SPARK WILL SURFICE!" Dreadwing decreed as he raised his sword above his head.

"DREADWING!"

Dreadwing froze and turned around at the sound of the voice from the doorway. He saw Megatron standing there baring witness to what was about to happen.

"STAND DOWN!" Megatron ordered.

"THIS DESECRATOR MUST PAY FOR HIS ACTIONS!" Dreadwing protested.

"YOU CALL THIS LOYALTY, MASTER?!" Starscream screeched in disbelief.

"I SAID STAND DOWN!" Megatron repeated, enforcing more anger into his voice, "THAT IS AN ORDER!"

"One which I cannot follow," Dreadwing growled.

He returned to his former position. Pure rage written across his face plates. Sword held high above his head with both hands ready to deliver the fatal blow. Starscream quivering in fear in the lowly little corner before him. Finally. Skyquake would be avenged.

However, before he could deliver the blow, his roar was cut short by a choke. There was a gaping hole in the centre of his chassis where his spark would be. Through the hole, Starscream could see that Megatron was the one who saved him. As Megatron lowered his arm, Dreadwing dropped his sword and fell. Before Starscream, the lifeless husk of Dreadwing landed on the ground face-first.

It was only a mere seconds since Dreadwing said his final words of anger. Only a few seconds had passed between Dreadwing preparing to become a murderer and the tides turning to make Megatron into a murderer. But already, his body was fading to gunmetal gray, making it look as though he had been dead for years rather than seconds.

"I'm OK. I'M OK!" Starscream cried in relief before bowing to his master/savior, "Lord Megatron! You have my eternal thanks!"

Megatron said nothing except for this,

"Do not ever make me regret which one of you I spared."

* * *

"Is it my imagination?" Arcee began as she approached Bulkhead and Bumblebee, "Or have Optimus and Talida been acting differently since Alpha Trion's visit?"

"**You weren't imagining it**," Bumblebee bleeped sadly as he stepped forward.

"Yeah. They have been keeping things from us," Bulkhead agreed.

"Even Ratchet's been left out of the loop," Arcee pointed out.

"Well, give me one good reason why Optimus and Talida didn't trust their own teammates! Their own family! Why they couldn't tell us about the Omega Lock!" Bulkhead challenged.

"Because if they had, Megatron would have pulled it out of my head with his patch," Smokescreen answered as he stepped forward to join the conversation.

"But Tally knew about it too. Why didn't he just use the patch on her?" Arcee inquired.

"If Knock Out's word can been taken, he said something about how at the time, Talida was still severely weak from that battle with Megatron. Had they tried the patch on her, it would have made recovery worse. Maybe even killed her," Smokescreen clarified.

"Like it matters. The 'Cons are holding all the keys anyway," Bulkhead muttered.

* * *

"Tick tock, Knock Out!" Starscream snapped impatiently as Knock Out scanned the keys, "Tick tock! Megatron's expecting results! And given what we just witnessed, I say we can't afford to disappoint our master!"

"We?!" Knock Out repeated in disbelief as he picked up one of the four keys, "Unless nagging counts, I haven't seen you lift a finger!"

"I am the one who brought him the keys!" Starscream reminded the scientist, "Do I really need to prove myself further by cyphering how they operate too?!"

"Well, perhaps if my research hadn't been sidelined by somebody's cosmetic surgery, I might be further along right now!" Knock Out retorted.

"Oh! Just give it here!" Starscream sighed as he snatched the key from Knock Out and proceeded to smash it against the table.

"Oh gee. Why didn't I think of that?!" Knock Out asked himself sarcastically.

Knock Out soon found himself gasping in horror as Starscream swiped at him with the key. Once again, he found his beautiful paintwork ruined by unfortunate circumstances. Deciding to join the fight, Knock Out picked up another key and clanged it against the key Starscream was holding. To their surprise, the keys locked together and began glowing a bright white.

"Do you think…?" Knock Out trailed off.

The two were quick to grab the two remaining keys that were lying on the table.

"Ready? GO!" Starscream instructed.

They combined all four keys, causing the locked keys to glow brighter than before. Soon enough, they saw the keys project something above the two of them. Immediately, they recognized that it was projecting a map of Cybertron. A red beacon shone on the screen to indicate an important location. The location of the Omega Lock.

Starscream chuckled before glaoting, "And that is why Dreadwing is pushing up lugnuts!"

"And we are not!" Knock Out added with a smirk.

* * *

"Of course!" Megatron cried once Starscream and Knock Out showed him , "Keys are useless without something to unlock! Target the Space Bridge for Cybertron!"

Knock Out and Starscream remained still while Soundwave, who was in the room with them as well, walked away to obey his master's commands; his steps quicker than usual. Clearly, he was as eager to revive Cybertron as the next Cybertronian.

* * *

"Yet another astonishing convergence of magic and science," Ratchet sighed in a dreamy fashion as he examined the upgraded control system for the GroundBridge, "Courtesy of the ancients."

"And our leaders!" Smokescreen piped in rudely.

"It's hard to believe! A few swings of that hammer and BAM!" Bulkhead gushed as they turned to face the GroundBridge.

"A GroundBridge is now a Space Bridge," Arcee proclaimed.

Then the computers went on a fritz.

"Our sensors are picking up a large Energon burst right outside Earth's atmosphere," Ratchet announced before turning to face the others, "A surge like that could only mean one thing. Activation of another Space Bridge."

"Megatron has discovered that the Omega Lock is on Cybertron," Optimus realized.

"It appears we have lost our advantage!" Ratchet gasped.

"But Megatron doesn't know that we can now do interstellar travel. We still possess the element of surprise," Talida pointed out, a smirk gracing her face.

With those words said, everyone – excluding Ratchet – headed towards the vaults where they were keeping the other relics and weapons they have gathered during their time on Earth.

Smokescreen, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee all went to different vaults to obtain different relics. Smokescreen grabbed the Spark Extractor, knowing that things were going to be desperate. Arcee obtained the Apex Armor at Optimus' insistence, saying that if she was going to go into battle with them, she had to protect their unborn sparkling. Bumblebee obtained the polarity gauntlet. Bulkhead obtained the immobilizer.

Talida went into her room and pulled out a circular box from under her bed. Removing the lid, she revealed a device that she hadn't used for months. Her hover board. Pulling the two ends apart, the board began to glow. When she let it go and stood up, it hovered before her, ready for her to climb on. And climb on, she did/ She also pressed the button on her watch that would allow her to breathe in Cybertron's atmosphere.

"We must embark on this mission with every resource at our disposal," Optimus decreed.

"And to think the stakes weren't high before," Talida remarked dryly.

* * *

Aboard the Nemesis, the ship was now approaching the active Space Bridge. Megatron stood on the roof with Soundwave, Starscream and an army of Vehicons. Something that Megatron knew was that for this battle, he was going to need all the help he can get.

"Starscream, assume command in my absence," Megatron requested.

"I would be honored, master," Starscream gushed as he bowed once again.

Megatron didn't acknowledged the methods Starscream was using to kiss up to him. Instead, he raced forward and transformed, taking off into space. Four Vehicons followed immediately as they raced towards the Space Bridge. Slowly, the remaining Vehicons followed, all eager for the battle that laid ahead.

* * *

Inside the Autobot base, the newly completed Space Bridge was coming to life. Something that confused everybody was the series of banging they were hearing.

"What's he forging now?" Bulkhead asked, trying to think of what else he would forge after transforming the GroundBridge into a Space Bridge.

The answer was revealed when Optimus stepped forward holding a giant sword that closely resembled the Star Saber in his hand. Talida couldn't help but allow her eyes to widen and her jaw to drop. The sword was bigger than the Star Saber.

"Megatron must be stopped no matter the cost!" Optimus proclaimed.

With those words said, Optimus raced forward, transformed into his vehicular mode and raced towards the active portal.

"DON'T LET HIM WIN!" Talida screamed as she raced after her father on her hover board.

Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen were quick to follow the two Primes. Talida's declaration about how they couldn't let Megatron win motivated them. Not only to revive Cybertron.

But to end the war.

* * *

Cybertron hadn't changed much since either side last left their footprints. The planet was still as lifeless as it was when the exodus was ordered. It caused Megatron and the Vehicons that accompanied him to shudder slightly. But they didn't let this affect them for long. They were Cybertronians on a mission. A mission to revive Cybertron and rebuild it into the vision they held for so long.

The first thing they needed to do was find the Omega Lock.

"According to the landmarks displayed by the keys, the object we seek is located deep within the Sea of Rust," Megatron announced.

* * *

To occupy his time, Ratchet decided to pace around the command centre while rocking Cayden slightly in his arms. He was, at first, distraught by the absence of his parents and older sister. But as soon as he was Ratchet's arms, he calmed down. Ratchet had somewhat become a grandfather to him. And with Ratchet seeing Arcee as his daughter, he grew to see Cayden as his grandson. It would, after all, be the closest he would ever get to having grandchildren of his own.

Despite the calm façade he played for the young sparkling, he was worried. Nobody knew what to expect to find on Cybertron during this perilous journey. They knew to expect trouble with the Decepticons possibly waiting for them. Inside, his gears were churning in fear and his Energon tanks were rumbling. These sensations were brought on by him remembering a previous experience.

He couldn't count the amount of times Arcee, Jack and Talida almost died on Cybertron when they fought hard and desperately to bring Optimus back home. Especially Talida, who was actually dead for three minutes due to Megatron's arrogance and him having a powerful missile in his hands aimed at Iacon.

When he heard the sound of beeping to indicate an incoming call, Ratchet sprinted towards the computer.

"Optimus? Talida?" Ratchet answered hopefully.

"_Uh, no, Ratchet. It's Jack._ Is something wrong?" Jack asked as he, Miko and Raf sat on the front steps of the school, "'Cause school's been out for almost an hour and no one's showed up to pick us up. _Also, Lida wasn't at school today._"

"That's because the entire team is rather…indisposed at the moment," Ratchet chose his words carefully, "_I suggest you obtain an alternative mode of transport._"

"What's he saying?" Miko inquired as she sat in Jack's lap.

"The 'Bots are busy. Same with Lida," Jack answered.

"Then tell Ratchet to come get us," Miko suggested, "_It's not like he has anything else to do!_"

"Just go home! I will be in touch later!" Ratchet snapped before hanging up, confusing Jack, Miko and Raf at the end of the line even further.

Jack stuttered a few times before snapping his phone shut, "He hung up."

"What crawled up his tailpipe and died?" Miko asked rhetorically.

"Did Ratchet tell you what's going on?" Raf demanded worriedly.

"No. They seem to be keeping us in the dark a lot lately. Even Lida and she usually tells us everything…most of the time," Jack pointed out.

* * *

The rust blew around them as Megatron double-checked his scanners again. They were so close to reviving Cybertron, he could almost taste it on his glossa. So he had to make sure that they were in the right place. And it wasn't just because the planet was, at this point in time, unable to sustain life anymore.

Behind them, Smokescreen slowly emerged from the ground thanks to his phase shifter. Nobody knew he was there until he unfolded his blaster and killed two Vehicons.

"What just happened?!" Megatron demanded worriedly.

Smokescreen raced away, being followed by the raining blaster fire from the Vehicons. Megatron's optics widened in horror as he saw the young Autobot phase into a wall.

"Smokescreen?!" Megatron gasped in horror, "But that's impossible! The Autobots do not possess the means to…"

If he wasn't surprised by Smokescreen's sudden appearance, this will surprise him. An abandoned ammunition truck of sorts was levitated into the air. Many Vehicons were scrambling around for safe haven as the truck came crashing donw. Many Vehicons weren't lucky and were crushed by the rusted metal construct. Megatron looked up at the bridge and saw a familiar blur of black-and-yellow racing away. Immediately, he knew it was Bumblebee.

"CRUSH THEM!" Megatron instructed.

As Bumblebee raced away in his vehicle mode, Bulkhead took his place on the bridge. In his hands, he held the Immobilizer, set up and ready to go at Bulkhead's willing. And fire, he did. Many Vehicons who were shooting at him were frozen by the force of the Immobilizer. With them immobilized, Bulkhead jumped down, changed his hands into blasters and went to join the firefight.

From the bridge not far from where Bulkhead was once standing, Arcee was opening fire on the Vehicons that were attempting to strike her from below. Jumping down, she slammed the Apex Armor against her chest, allowing it to encase her entire body. With Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen following her, she charged into the battle.

"DEFEND THE KEYS!" Megatron roared.

Everybody took their turn in beating up many Vehicons that dared to fight them. It got to the point where Megatron was snarling as he unsheathed his sword and raced forward to join the battle with the remaining Vehicons following him to the death.

"WATCH YOUR SIXES!"

Optimus and Talida emerged from the shadows as they joined their family in the fight. Using their swords, they assisted in the taking down of the Vehicons. Talida even flew over on her hover board to take down some Vehicons that were going to attack Arcee.

"Thanks," Arcee said gratefully before taking down a few drones herself.

"You should wear that more often," Talida remarked before joining her father as he charged at Megatron.

As their swords collided, Megatron sneered at his baby brother, "I bested your little blade once. And I shall do it again!"

"Not as long as I'm around!" Talida vowed as she took a single swipe.

"Your form improves every time we meet, my dear niece," Megatron complimented.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Optimus sneered as he kicked Megatron in the stomach, the force sending him back.

While Optimus, Talida and Megatron dueled, the others proceeded to take care of the Vehicons that were daring to stand in their way to revive Cybertron. Combining the forces of their phase shifter, immobilizer, polarity gauntlet and Apex Armor respectively, they managed to reclaim all four Omega Keys, leaving the Vehicons shocked at the fact that they were taken from under their noses.

Eventually, Optimus and Talida grew tired of the seemingly endless duel. So, spinning slightly, they sent waves of energy hurtling towards Megatron. The Decepticon Lord cried out in surprise as he was sent flying over the bridge far from the Sea of Rust. With the keys in their hands, the other Autobots raced forward to join them.

When they were all together again, they raced towards where they knew the Omega Lock would be. Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen utilized their vehicle modes for this journey. Talida, possessing no vehicle form due to her techno-organic status, decided to utilize her trusty hover board for the journey that would change the tides of the war.

It would change the tides in a way that benefited either the Autobots or the Decepticons.

The Vehicons were quick to follow as Megatron approached the bridge, his Dark Star Saber powered by Dark Energon purring in the grasp of the hand he had stolen from the Tomb of the Primes.

"I will have those keys! OR I WILL HAVE YOUR SPARKS!" Megatron screamed to the Vehicons that dared to remain behind to wait for their lord.

"I can help with the last part," Smokescreen smirked as he emerged from the shadows, a familiar device in his hands.

"THE SPARK EXTRACTOR!" Megatron gasped in horror.

Kicking some Vehicons out of the way, Smokescreen phased into the ground, leaving the spark extractor behind. When the spark extractor made contact with the yellowish-brown rusted ground, the device began to glow a bright blue. Immediately, it unleashed a force that proved to be fatal to everyone nearby. Retreating Vehicons were affected by the shockwaves just as bad as the Vehicons who were stupid enough to remain. All of them were killed instantly.

Roaring in anger, Megatron aimed his Dark Star Saber and threw it to the ground. The sword pierced through the spark extractor, destroying it almost instantly. However, to Megatron's horror, he had acted too late. The damage was done. Every single Vehicon that remained with Megatron was lying in the Sea of Rust. Their sparks extracted.

Thinking nothing of it, Megatron walked down and retrieved his glowing purple sword, the sword shattered in half by his use.

"STARSCREAM!" Megatron boomed into the commlink, "The Autobots have seized the Omega Keys. Send reinforcements immediately!"

* * *

Starscream stood surrounded by many Vehicons around the main computer in the control room. Naturally, he assumed command of the Nemesis in Megatron's absence. Normally, Starscream would be quick to obey his master's will and order reinforcements to rendezvous with him immediately. However, this time was different.

He had, what he believed, to be a better idea forming in his head.

"Actually, Lord Megatron," Starscream began, the signature sneer laced in his voice, "Soundwave has been briefing me on recent developments. And we may have a more effective solution."

When Megatron inquired what his solution was, Starscream laid it out clearly. When Starscream had finished, Megatron was satisfied with the new idea. Starscream, despite his cowardly actions, was renowned as a brilliant strategist. But even Megatron knew that brilliant strategists had a real stroke of genius from time to time.

Nobody would willingly catch Megatron admitting this to anyone – even Soundwave – but Starscream just had a real stroke of genius with this little solution of his.

After all, the best way to harm one's mortal enemies is to extort whatever weakness they have.

* * *

The journey across the Sea of Rust seemed to take forever for the Autobots. However, they knew that in the end, it would prove to be worth it as they revived their lifeless planet and restored every single city on it to a new Golden Age. When they came to a stop, Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen transformed into their bipedal forms while Talida jumped off her hover board, deactivated it and slid it down her shirt (an action Optimus didn't approve) and they proceeded to approach a specific spot in the Sea of Rust.

"Our head start won't last long," Arcee pointed out.

"This is where Alpha Trion said we'd find it, right?" Smokescreen asked.

"These are the coordinates," Bulkhead nodded.

The dust flew around them as they approached the lock; a device that had clearly been dormant for some time.

"Doesn't look like much," Bulkhead remarked.

Stepping forward, Optimus placed his hand on the lock and removed some of the rust and dust that had built up on the device over an unspecified amount of time.

"It's the real deal," Talida observed before opening the commlink, "_Ladies and gentlemen, we have located the Omega Lock!_"

Ratchet was unable to hold back his sigh of relief as he proclaimed,

"At last!"

In all honesty, Ratchet was unable to recall he last time he had felt this much relief. When he had successfully managed to save Raf after he was poisoned with Dark Energon by Megatron. When they discovered a way to get Optimus back. When he was reunited with Arcee, Jack and Talida after they were stranded on Cybertron. When he had managed to save all three of them and Cayden after Megatron nearly killed him. When he had managed to save Talida after spending so many days thinking that she had been dead when she was somehow aboard the Nemesis the entire time.

There were so many moments where Ratchet felt relieved. So many moments something good was finally their's.

But that didn't stop the nagging feeling deep in his gut and back at the far reaches of his processor. For the Autobots, good things never lasted for long. Great, amazing things were rare – and he used Talida and Cayden as examples. But for them, nothing lasted forever.

Just how long would Ratchet's relief and the small victory of the Autobots would last?

* * *

"According to Alpha Trion, the Omega Lock is a conduit to the very AllSpark itself," Optimus explained.

"Optimus, Talida," Smokescreen began as he stepped forward, holding one of the Omega Keys in his hands, "An honor like this shouldn't belong to me."

When Smokescreen went to hand his key over, to his surprise, it began to glow and tremble in his hands. Talida looked around and saw that the keys Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were holding began to glow and tremble as well. They all stood back as the lock and the ground beneath their feet began to glow as well. The lock hummed as it began to come to life after spending so long in stasis.

An archway began to form around them with four pillars emerging from the ground. Above them, they saw the circle was a wave of bright, glowing blue. Talida wouldn't admit this to anyone. Especially to her close friends and family. But she could have sworn she saw the face of every Cybertronian that had died during the war – on Cybertron and beyond. Tailgate. Cliffjumper. Rayna. Breakdown. Everybody that lost their lives were smiling down at her. Counting down on them to do this right.

Their happiness quickly died down when they saw a familiar jet approaching in the horizon. Optimus and Talida were quick to unsheathe their swords and stand ready to fight.

Megatron transformed into his bipedal mode and jumped down into the archway. There was no way he could hide the smirk that was gracing his face. Immediately, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen activated their weapons and stood with Optimus and Talida, ready to defend the Omega Lock.

"Autobots, I would suggest that you put a halt to your tasks," Megatron suggested, "And hand over those keys."

"And why would we do that?" Smokescreen asked dryly.

"I'd rather be part of Project Aeon again than do that," Talida scoffed.

They eventually received the answer as to why Megatron was suddenly cocky. The familiar bright swirls of a Space Bridge portal appeared behind Megatron. Three Decepticons – Starscream, Soundwave and Knock Out – emerged from the swirling vortex holding a pod each; the precious cargo housed safely inside.

"NO!" Talida gasped in horror.

When they realized what she had noticed, Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen were horrified as well when they realized what was happening.

"So that I may hand over the humans," Megatron answered Smokescreen's question so casually, it sent those shivers of fear traveling up and down Talida's spine.

Jack, Miko and Raf were housed in the pods. They were all captured from the front steps of Jasper High while they were busy trying to revive a dead planet.

"What if we refuse?" Talida demanded, struggling to contain her anger.

"Then I will have no choice but to open the pods, exposing your pets to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere. And then, we can all watch them instantly perish together," Megatron answered casually, "Then I will take back my niece and reinitiate Project Aeon. And you and I both know what would result of that action."

There were many elements that made the Autobots more human than the Decepticons. One of them was the fact that they, like humans, hate dilemmas. However, this dilemma is something that was different than the ones before.

If they gave up the keys, Jack, Talida, Miko and Raf would be saved from their own tragic fates. However, Cybertron would be revived in a way the Decepticons envisioned it, which would lead to them being disgraced in history.

But if they didn't give up the keys…sure. They would be the ones to revive Cybertron and disgrace the Decepticons in history. Jack, Miko and Raf would suffocate due to them being unable to breathe in Cybertron's atmosphere and Talida would be forced to become someone she didn't want to become: a Decepticon.

What were they going to do?

_**To the continued…**_

"_Forgetting all the hurt inside  
__You've learned to hide so well!  
__Pretending someone else can come  
__And save me from myself!  
__I can't be who you are…_

_When my time comes,  
__Forget the wrong that I've done!  
__Help me leave behind some,  
__Reasons to be missed…  
__Don't resent me!  
__And when you're feeling empty,  
__Keep me in your memory!  
__Leave out all the rest…  
__Leave out all the rest…_

_Forgetting all the hurt inside  
__You've learned to hide so well!  
__Pretending someone else can come  
__And save me from myself!  
__I can't be who you are…_

_I can't be who you are…_"

* * *

**Man! That took forever for me to write!**

**Now, since there is really nothing promo-wise for the next episode, I'm gonna do the sneak peek instead.**

* * *

"_Now, is the Space Bridge locked on target?" Megatron asked Starscream._

"_Per your instructions, Lord Megatron," Starscream nodded as he bowed._

"_I can't believe you let him come crawling back to you," Talida muttered darkly from her position trapped inside Megatron's hand._

"_Oh, let me assure you, my dear niece, when you join our cause, a more suitable replacement shall take his place," Megatron promised before turning to Starscream once again, "Excellent work, Starscream. Why rule only one world when I could rule two?"_

_Everybody's eyes widened in horror as they realized what he was planning to do. Even more when the Decepticon Space Bridge opened right over the Omega Lock. Smirking, Megatron turned towards the controls and pressed the red button. Instantly, the Omega Beam shot into the open portal._

_"No!" Optimus gasped in horror from his position surrounded by Vehicons._

_Back on Earth, June was leaning against the old wooden desk in the garage. Desperately, she was trying to reach her son. And each time, nothing came of it. However, there was no harm in her trying again and again, leaving dozens of messages._

_Just as she hit the call button, she heard an explosion and felt the ground shake beneath her, causing her to gasp in surprise. Immediately, she raced outside. When she saw what was going on, she dropped her phone in shock._

"_**Hey. It's Jack. I can't answer 'cause I'm probably out saving the world right now…**__"_

_June didn't hear the sound of her son's voice over his recorded voicemail greeting. She was too busy staring at the Omega Beam that seemed to be drilling its way into the desert a few blocks over._

_Just what is going on here?_

"_Optimus, do you read?!" Ratchet tried desperately as he tried to fix the broken computers, "An unknown energy spike in Earth's atmosphere is crashing my systems! Please tell me it's related to the activation of the Omega Lock!"_

_However, deep down inside, he knew it wasn't true._

"_If the Omega Lock can restore Cybertron, it can do the same to Earth. Right?" Miko asked nervously._

"_No," Optimus rumbled darkly._

"_It'll Cyberform Earth in favor of its new Matrix. Destroying all indigenous life in the process," Talida added just as darkly._

**Talida Prime: Rising Storms…**

**More to come soon…**

**Only on FanFiction…**

* * *

**Wow…**

**BYE!**


	28. Darkest Hour

**This is a massive one, ladies and gentlemen! This is the end! Or is it…?**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Oh no! They got the kids! Please update!**_

**Yep. They have the kids. The world is going to end.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**"It'll Cyberform Earth in favor of its new Matrix. Destroying all indigenous life in the process," Talida added just as darkly.**_

_**I remember Spock saying something similar about the Genesis Device in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Damn that movie was awesome.**_

**Not a Trekie.**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME CHAPTER! But I hope Talida doesn't go to Megatron! That would be very bad!**_

**Do you seriously think Optimus would let her go if he had a say in it?**

**haloangel21: **_**Talida would be forced to become a Decepticon? Now this got more interesting.**_

**I should write a story about what would happen if that did occur, shouldn't I? Then again, I've got that 'what if' story about Talida and the Tox-En thing. Hey! Maybe you and I should write that story (the Talida being a Decepticon one) together! I've been meaning to ask you to cowrite a story with me! After you graduate and get your other stuff sorted out, of course. That's more important.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Holy Jesus, the ending to this episode was so intense when I first saw it! And the sneak peak you've written made it intenser! …If such a word existed, but who cares? Please update when you can!  
**_

**Don't I always?**

**tfp-fan: **_**Do you think this would've been a good idea if Smokescreen DIDN'T save Talida from the Nemesis, like if she was moved to a different medical bay:**_

_**So Megatron erases her memories of her Autobot life and teaches her the ways of the Decepticons, also saying a lie that the Autobots killed her family so he took her in, thus making her evil. Then after Patch happens, she's inside one of the rooms practicing her fighting when Dreadwing comes in. And he has a device that was used to wipe her memories and contains them. Talida backs up slightly like "What are you doing with that?" and Dreadwing replies "You'll thank me for this afterwards.", before erasing her Decepticon memories and replacing them with her Autobot memories. He then gives the Forge to the Autobots along with her.**_

_**Anyway, FREAKING AWESOME CHAPTER! Please update whenever you can! :D**_

**That's actually not a bad idea.**

**Megatronus117: **_**O.O  
Wow that was epic**_

**It was, wasn't it?**

**Anon Guy: **_**Wow. So ep 5 comes out today. Seen the preview clip on YouTube yet? The one minute, twenty something seconds one? Clearly explains the origins or our mythical creatures or at least anything dragon related. Hey, someone had to say it. If you haven't seen the clip, you'll find out what I mean when the episode airs tonight.**_

**I watched the entire episode. Let me just say…whoa. Can't wait for the next one. Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack: this oughta be interesting…**

**Shadow Katakura: **_**Sweet chapter Ice! Keep up the good work. And I can't wait for next episode! I swear I nearly cried when I saw it. But on the bright side, OP lives.**_

**True.**

**VectorSigma101: **_**So excited!  
**_

**So am I!**

**Bee4ever: **_**Oh…NUTS! Trouble!**_

**It's me. What did you expect?**

**Guest: **_**And the official effect of this on what I'm going to say is we are so screwed!**_

**Again, it's me.**

**dx-1118: **_**OMG! Only one chapter left! I can't wait! So looking forward to it and the sequel.  
**__**Speaking of the sequel, are you planning any other fics besides Fading Suns? I sure you're very busy with school and this story already, but from looking at your extensive list of stories I know transformers isn't the only thing you like to write about. So I was wondering: would you ever be interested in writing a fanfic based on a series called Neon Genesis Evangelion? In case you don't know what that is, here's a (very) brief summary:  
**__**Neon Genesis Evangelion is an anime series set in the year 2015, 15 years after an apocalyptic event known as Second Impact wiped out half the world's population. The series stars Shinji Ikari, a 14 year old emo kid who is summoned to the futuristic city of Tokyo-III by his negligent father Gendo, who is the leader of a secret government organization called NERV. Shinji has been chosen as the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, a gigantic cybernet fighting machine. Along with fellow pilots Rei Ayanami (pilot of Unit 00O and Asuka Langley Sohryu (pilot of Unit 02), as well as NERV personnel Misato Kasuragi and Ritsuko Akagi, Shinji must use Eva Unit 01 to defend Tokyo-III and the world from the threat of mysterious and powerful monsters known as Angels.  
**__**So basically, it's what would happen if Sigmund Freud, Isaac Asimov and Godzille made a tv show. And if you don't know who any of those people are, shame on you. It's a hugely populated show (it's made 2 billion dollars and won several awards) not only for its amazing scenes and intriguing plot, but also for its realistic and well developed characters, as well as its exploration of psychology, religion and philosophy. It also has one of the best opening themes ever.  
**__**But there are also those who criticize it for being confusing and having a wimpy main character. It has a fairly large following on , and since you seem to like writing about giant robots and drawing attention to issues such as depression, I thought you might be interested in it. I realize you may not like it and probably won't write anything about it, but I just wanted to suggest it anyway. The episodes are pretty easy to find online, both English dubbed and in original Japanese. Once again I must apologize for the length of my reviews, especially since this one had little do to with your story. Good luck with the rest of this sage, and please at least consider my request.  
**__**PS. If you do write an Evangelion fic, the pairings I would like to see are Shinji x Asuka and/or Rei x OC. Don't listen to anyone who says Shinji x Rei is a legitimate pairing, it's incest (I can't say why because that would be spoilers).**_

**What? Shinji and Rei are brother(s) or brother/sister or something? I'll…think about it.**

**Guest: **_**Assuming you saw ep 5 already, I got a couple things to say.**_

_**1) what do you think of Ratchet's thoughts of Smokescreen being inexperienced enough to disobey protocol to go back for Prime? I know it's Ratchet but if you ask me there could've been a better way to compliment, for lack of a better word, Smoke for his actions. All I'm saying is the words didn't do justice for what our potential Prime did.**_

_**2) Speaking of Prime talk, what'd you think of Smokescreen's talk with Bumblebee? You know it's pretty hard not to like Smoke for admiring Bee for his patience. Our scout prefers to remain as such for the time being huh. I only got the gist of what Bee said so it's abit hard to compliment on what he says.**_

**Yeah. It's one of those times where you wish they would put up translation subtitles or something like that.**

**Stopmotiontk421: **_**Whoa! That was pretty cool, and soon I will post my own TFP story; you should check it out. By the way, do you like the name CyreanWave?**_

**It is pretty unique.**

**lavax-100: **_**dude deed ya see prime's new ride it's happenin'.**_

**Yeah. I'll still miss the truck, though.**

**lancepm: **_**I've had a vision Malita will return .whoa déjà vu**_

**Hmmm…**

**jarastar1-100: **_**let me quest Malita in an episode of beast hunters.**_

**Not taking any of those requests.**

**lesly21: **_**Hey I was wondering if you can upload another chapter for my birthday this Tuesday… If your not busy … It Will be really awesome if you did..I'll be 14!**_

**14's a good age. Right now, I'm just praying I can get this up on time. I will try for you. Also…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!**

**Jetstorm'sGirl: **_**First off, thanks for using my other comment. And I also want to say that I love how Ratchet sees himself as Cayden's grandfather. It just so beautiful! I love it. 3 Please update soon.**_

**I'll try. But no promises.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.  
****© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.  
**_**Robot Boy**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**I said early on that I would end this story using a Linkin Park song. I didn't keep that promise with Fading Light. But I am going to here.**

**Also…TITLE FOR FIFTH AND FINAL STORY REVEALED IN THIS CHAPTER IF YOU SQUINT!**

**ENJOY!**

**And I just used up four pages for an author's note AGAIN! I love you guys. But…I seriously have to try and limit myself. Then again…it's me. Can't expect less.**

* * *

"_You say you're not gonna fight.  
_'_Cause no one will fight for you…  
__And you think there's not enough love.  
__And no one to give it too…  
__And you're sure you've hurt for so long,  
__You've got nothing left to lose…  
__So you say you're not gonna fight.  
_'_Cause no one will fight for you…_"

_**Previously on Transformers: Prime…**_

"_The Forge of Solus Prime!" Arcee gasped in surprise as Dreadwing gestured towards the device on the ground._

"_Do not ever make me regret which one of you I spared," Megatron snarled after just killing Dreadwing to save Starscream before instructing Soundwave, "Target the Space Bridge for Cybertron."_

_"A few swings of that hammer and BAM!" Bulkhead gasped excitedly._

"_A GroundBridge is now a Space Bridge," Arcee proclaimed happily._

"_Megatron has discovered that the Omega Lock is on Cybertron," Optimus announced, "Megatron must be stopped no matter the cost."_

"_And to think the stakes weren't high before," Talida remarked before screaming, "DON'T LET HIM WIN!"_

"_THE AUTOBOTS HAVE SEIZED THE OMEGA KEYS!" Megatron cried._

_"Ladies and gentlemen, we have located the Omega Lock!" Talida cheered._

"_Autobots, I would suggest that you hand over those keys," Megatron smirked as he approached the Autobots._

"_And if we refuse?" Optimus pressed…before freezing in horror as Knock Out, Soundwave and Starscream appeared with Jack, Miko and Raf trapped in pods._

"_We can all watch them instantly perish together," Megatron answered casually, "Then I will take back my niece and reinitiate Project Aeon. And you and I both know what would result of that action."_

Nobody moved. Nobody found the strength to move. Especially the Autobots. This dilemma Megatron presented to them was such a heavy weight on them. This dilemma was a dilemma that they never thought they would have to face. They knew it was a possibility when Jack, Miko and Raf discovered the war. But…they never thought it would actually happen.

There were only two real options that were presented to Optimus and his team. Hand over the keys to Megatron and save the lives of their friends – the young man who is Talida's half-brother and a son to Optimus in every way but blood, the young girl who had matured so much since her involvement in the war and the young twelve (and a quarter)-year-old genius who is Optimus' grandson. Or…they could keep the keys and then slowly watch their young friends die.

What could they do?

Miko kicked at the walls of the glass pod she was encaged in before remarking, "Not how I wanted to spend my first trip to Cybertron."

"Starscream," Megatron barked.

"Jack! Time to come out and play!" Starscream tormented as he lifted the pod higher for all to see.

He quivered slightly when Talida quickly unsheathed her sword, glared at him with a look that could send Unicron crawling back to where he came from and growled,

"If you touch him, you will have the fight of your life."

"Go ahead," Jack snarled, "The Autobots are prepared to sacrifice themselves for our planet. I'll do the same for theirs."

"Me too, creepy!" Miko piped in as she glared defiantly at Knock Out.

Raf gulped nervously before hesitantly nodding in agreement. Soundwave did always scare him.

"Perhaps we should oblige them," Megatron suggested.

"If my decision dooms the future of the Autobot cause on Cybertron, so be it. But I will never forsake our human allies," Optimus decided.

"Not good enough, Prime," Megatron sing-songed, a smirk playing in his voice.

Talida immediately knew what she had to do. She knew she would never see her friends and family again as a result of the choice she was about to make. But in the end, her friends and family would be safe. That was all that mattered to her. Bravely, she sheathed her sword, stepped forward and asked a simple question,

"Do you still want me?"

"NO!" Jack roared as he pounded against his pod.

"My dear niece, are you sacrificing yourself for these…pests?" Megatron inquired.

"They're no pests," Talida spat, "That's my half-brother, my best friend and my son. You were a father once. Shouldn't you know that it's a parent's desire to protect your children?"

"Sweetspark, no," Optimus pleaded.

"I'll be OK, dad," Talida swore, "I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Optimus retorted, knowing what would happen next.

"This is my choice. The future of two worlds is depending on this trade. I'd rather die than see this go downhill. Just trust me, daddy," Talida begged.

With those words said, she walked towards Megatron and stood before him. Breathing in and out, she looked up at him with blue eyes that said she meant it. Smirking, he knelt down and scooped her into his hand, cradling her almost lovingly against his chassis. It was a sight that made everybody feel nauseous.

"Seeing as I have no choice in the matter…," Optimus sighed.

With trembling arms, he raised his sword up and stabbed it into the ground. Despite how much no one liked it, they lowered their weapons as Optimus walked backwards until he was standing between Smokescreen and Bumblebee. With a sigh in frustration, Arcee pressed the button on the centre of her chassis and the Apex Armor seemingly peeled itself away from her small, strong body. Almost instinctively, she discretely placed a hand on her stomach where her daughter was still developing inside her; an action Optimus didn't fail to notice. Slowly, everybody threw their weapons across to where Optimus' sword was.

They had no choice anymore. It was all over.

They had nothing to fight with.

But most importantly: they had nothing to fight for.

_**TRANSFORMERS PRIME**_

"_You say the weight of the world,  
__Has kept you from letting go…  
__And you think compassion's a flaw.  
__And you'll never let it show…  
__And you're sure you hurt in a way,  
__That no one will ever know…  
__But someday, the weight of the world,  
__Will give you the strength to go…_"

"Now, if you please, the Omega Keys," Megatron requested as he held out his free hand, subconsciously clutching Talida even tighter to his chest if it was possible, "One at a time."

Knock Out was the first Decepticon to step forward with his offering: Miko. Naturally, since he was her guardian, Bulkhead would be the first Autobot to step forward when the time would eventually come. Bulkhead didn't like doing this. But he knew that it had to be done. Miko's life – as well as Jack's and Raf's – were depending on this trade. Talida knew this too. That was why she willingly left to be with Megatron to begin with.

"You first, big boy," Knock Out's smirk only succeeded in stating the obvious in Bulkhead's mind.

Optimus' nod in approval gave him the strength to lift one of his bulky legs. Following the first bulky leg was the second half of the pair of his bulky legs. Soon enough, he was approaching Knock Out who was standing there casually waving the pod housing Miko around as if he was aiming to torment Bulkhead.

"If I don't get the girl, I'll make you eat this key," Bulkhead growled dangerously as he slammed the key into Knock Out's waiting hand.

"You're welcome," Knock Out scoffed as he handed Miko over without a fight.

"Get scrapped!" Miko snapped at Knock Out as Bulkhead carried her away.

"Save our son, Bee," Talida pleaded.

Bumblebee didn't need to say words in response to his distraught young wife. With shaky pedes, he stepped forward towards Soundwave, holding his son. With blue optics narrowed in anger, he came face to face with the surveillance chief of the Decepticon cause. He didn't like this. He never wanted to like this. However, for the sake of his family, he had to live with it.

"**You lay one claw on my wife or son, your spark is mine,**" Bumblebee warned before exchanging the key for his son, "**Are you OK, Raf?**"

Raf's nod of answer was enough to satisfy the young scout for the time being. However, it didn't stop him from making a mental note to have Ratchet give his son a full checkup when they managed to return to base when this was over.

"If this human was important enough to entrust with the Matrix of Leadership, he's worth two Omega Keys," Megatron shrugged casually with a smirk.

Optimus didn't say anything. He simply nodded to the two remain Autobots. Despite not linking this, Arcee and Smokescreen slowly stepped forward. Clutched in their hands were the two remaining Omega Keys they needed. Placing the pod containing Jack on the ground, Starscream raised his hands.

"No tricks," Starscream promised before aiming his missiles at them, "The keys, if you please…"

Angrily, Smokescreen and Arcee slapped the keys into Starscream's waiting hands. Jack's eyes were wide in fear as Arcee knelt before him with a smile. Behind them, a second Space Bridge opened, allowing Vehicons to pour out. Grabbing Jack along the way, Arcee and Smokescreen raced to the others. Vehicons stood around them with their blasters unfolded and fully charged. Neither of the Autobots had the strength to fight the Vehicons guarding them. They didn't want to risk Talida's life, who was still cradled in Megatron's hand.

Talida and her brother locked eyes for just mere moments. One filled with fear. One filled with pleading. Talida was scared of what was going to happen to her. Yet, she accepted it. As long as her family was safe, she would follow Megatron. Jack was pleading his sister to tell Megatron to 'shove it' and come back to them. He knew she wouldn't. She spent her entire life putting others above herself. Sometimes, she did it to a fault. He didn't know if he would be able to handle it. He couldn't handle it when he spent just a few days thinking that she was dead.

How would he handle dealing with the fact that she willingly left him for the dark side?

* * *

"Optimus? Were you successful?" Ratchet asked hopefully as he answered an incoming transmission.

"_Ratchet?_ It's June Darby. How are you?" June asked from her position in the garage.

"_I'm, er…busy, Ms. Darby. Expecting urgent news from the Autobots._"

"Oh. Is Jack with them?" June inquired.

"_No. Why?_"

"I haven't seen him all day. And he isn't returning my calls," June explained, "_I mean, I would expect something like this from Talida. But not from Jack._"

"I will have Jack and Talida contact you the moment I hear from them," Ratchet promised, "_Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to keep the commlinks clear._"

June moved her phone away from her ear in surprise as the disconnected tone rang out from her cell phone. Ratchet was rather abrupt with her during their conversation. Which was understandable, if the Autobots were out on patrol. Even then, she didn't expect the medic to turn around and hang up on her.

"Ratchet?! Hello?!" June called into the phone before thinking to herself, '_Well, that was rude…_'

* * *

"Now bear witness as a new age dawns on Cybertron," Megatron sneered at the Autobots.

Using a single hand, he slid one of the keys into one of the conduits in the lock. Talida watched on from Megatron's hand in horror as Starscream, Knock Out and Soundwave did the same with the remaining keys and the lock began to glow. One single bright beam spurted from the key before a single blue orb hovering before them with icons surrounding it replaced the beam.

It was a map of Cybertron.

"BEHOLD THE AGE OF THE DECEPTICONS!" Megatron roared joyfully.

With the single press of the red button, a glowing bright blue beam – the Omega Beam, Talida identified it as – shot out from one of the conduits in the archway above them. Optimus' optics widened in horror as the beam made contact with one of the buildings that was destroyed during one of the many battles in the war. Within moments, the building was restored to its former glory.

"By the AllSpark!" Optimus gasped.

"**Wow…**," Bumblebee whirred.

"Whoa!" Jack, Miko and Raf gaped.

"Holy shit," Talida muttered in amazement.

"Instant home makeover," Miko remarked.

"Shiny," Knock Out observed happily.

"You have what you want, Megatron. This conflict is between Autobots and Decepticons. Give me my daughter and allow me to return her – and the humans – to Earth," Optimus pleaded.

"Oh, I wouldn't recommend it. They'll be far more safer here," Megatron objected before asking Starscream, "Is the Space Bridge locked on target?"

"Per your instructions, Lord Megatron," Starscream nodded as he bowed.

"I can't believe you let him come crawling back to you," Talida muttered darkly from her position trapped inside Megatron's hand.

"Oh, let me assure you, my dear niece, when you join our cause, a more suitable replacement shall take his place," Megatron promised before turning to Starscream once again, "Excellent work, Starscream. Why rule only one world when I could rule two?"

Everybody's eyes widened in horror as they realized what he was planning to do. Even more when the Decepticon Space Bridge opened right over the Omega Lock. Smirking, Megatron turned towards the controls and pressed the red button. Instantly, the Omega Beam shot into the open portal.

"No!" Optimus gasped in horror from his position surrounded by Vehicons.

* * *

Back on Earth, June was leaning against the old wooden desk in the garage. Desperately, she was trying to reach her son. And each time, nothing came of it. However, there was no harm in her trying again and again, leaving dozens of messages.

Just as she hit the call button, she heard an explosion and felt the ground shake beneath her, causing her to gasp in surprise. Immediately, she raced outside. When she saw what was going on, she dropped her phone in shock.

"_Hey. It's Jack. I can't answer 'cause I'm probably out saving the world right now…_"

June didn't hear the sound of her son's voice over his recorded voicemail greeting. She was too busy staring at the Omega Beam that seemed to be drilling its way into the desert a few blocks over.

Just what is going on here?

* * *

"Optimus, do you read?!" Ratchet tried desperately as he tried to fix the broken computers, "An unknown energy spike in Earth's atmosphere is crashing all my systems! Please tell me it's related to the activation of the Omega Lock!"

However, deep down inside, he knew it wasn't true.

* * *

"If the Omega Lock can restore Cybertron, it can do the same to Earth. Right?" Miko asked nervously.

"No," Optimus rumbled darkly.

"It'll Cyberform Earth in favor of its new Matrix. Destroying all indigenous life in the process," Talida added just as darkly.

"Such raw power!" Megatron gushed excitedly, "What should I call my new domain? New Kaon? Or perhaps Gilded Earth?"

That last name made Optimus' optics widened in horror.

"NO!" Jack roared.

"LEAVE OUR PLANET ALONE!" Miko screamed.

"We had a deal!" Talida cried in protest over Megatron's and Knock Out's evil cackling, "You get me and the keys for letting Jack, Miko and Raf go free!"

"Ah, but there were no catches, my dear niece. You and your father didn't limit my power to Cybertron. I simply found a…_loophole_ in my deal," Megatron shrugged casually.

"Well, you're not the only one who can back out of deals, my dear uncle. You didn't keep your end of the bargain. So I'm not gonna keep my end!" Talida proclaimed.

That was the only warning Megatron received before he felt pure agony in his hand. Talida had unsheathed her sword and stabbed it into Megatron's hand, forcing him to let her go. It was then he realized he should have taken her sword away from her. Optimus managed to break free from his own captivity by unsheathing the sword hidden away in his arms and stabbing some Vehicons that dared to fight him. Gasping in surprise, Knock Out was unable to runaway before a Vehicon crashed into him and knocked him not only off his pedes. But several feet away from the lock.

"LET'S GO, DAD!" Talida cried as she watched her father reclaim the Star Saber.

When Talida watched Megatron unsheathe his Dark Star Saber and charge at Optimus, she expected to see what she saw every time the two of them battled. There'd be yet another long, drawn-out battle that would never amount to anything. So, needless to say, she was surprised when Optimus turned around, blocked a few attacks then…separated the arm of the Prime Megatron had taken from his body.

Racing forward, Optimus and Talida easily deflected the shots Knock Out and Soundwave were firing at them with the blades of their respective swords. Starscream even tried to get his licks in by firing a missile at the two of them. Dodging the missile with ease, Optimus and Talida used Starscream's upper body as a booster platform to boost them high into the air over the glowing Omega Lock. With roars of determination, their raised their swords high…

And sliced the Omega Lock into two.

Everybody – Autobot and Decepticon alike – were knocked back by the force of the explosion that resulted of the destruction of the Omega Lock.

* * *

Ratchet was surprised when his systems had suddenly come back online after the brief episode of crashing that resulted from the Omega Beam entering Earth. However, the medic didn't know the full circumstances of what had happened.

Not yet, anyway.

"Optimus, can you read?" Ratchet asked.

"_Ratchet, please open a Space Bridge._"

Ratchet didn't need to be told twice. He was quick to obey Optimus' request. Without a moment's hesitation, he raced towards the controls of the Space Bridge.

* * *

Arcee, Smokescreen, Bulkhead and Bumblebee raced quickly raced into action to protect Jack, Miko and Raf when the explosion shook them at their foundations. When the blinding lights had cleared, the Omega Lock – and the area surrounding them – was nothing but smoldering spitting flames and pillars of thick black smoke. When they looked up, they saw the glows of two swords approaching them slowly. Through the smoke, they could make out the silhouettes of Optimus and Talida. Casually, they sheathed their swords into the holders hidden away on their backs.

Behind them, a Space Bridge opened. Immediately, they knew it was the Autobots.

"Let's go," Talida suggested quietly.

Without a moment's hesitation, they grabbed the kids and raced through the portal. When Starscream looked up, he saw that the Autobots had escaped once again, causing him to roar in anger.

"I guess we should cancel the welcome home party," Knock Out remarked, only to cry out in pain as Starscream hit him hard enough to send him flying once again.

"Attend to our master! He requires medical attention!" Starscream snapped at him.

Not wanting to be struck again and have his precious paint job damaged even further, Knock Out quickly raced towards the wounded Megatron, who was clutching the joint where the lower half of his arm was once attached.

"PRIME!" Starscream growled in frustration when he noticed the Space Bridge closing before vowing, "HE AND HIS BRAT WILL PAY FOR DOOMING CYBERTRON TO REMAIN A LIFELESS HUSK!"

Megatron only chuckled evilly as he slowly began to rise despite his severe injuries, "They can run. But they can never again rum home."

* * *

Slowly, everybody walked through the Space Bridge into the safety of their base. Once inside, Arcee gently placed Jack's pod down and raced towards her son. Immediately, she scooped her son into his arms and held him close to her chest. During the battle, she felt an unnatural fear for the safety of her very young son. Optimus smiled slightly at the sight, despite the sadness weighing him down. Something that he knew was that Arcee worried more whenever she was away from her son. Her being pregnant again – this time with a girl – made it worse.

"The children?!" Ratchet cried in surprise before demanding, "What happened?! …Somebody say something!"

After a heavy silence, Bulkhead finally found the strength to tell him the truth, "Optimus and Talida destroyed the Omega Lock."

"WHAT?!" Ratchet gasped in horror and disbelief, "YOU DID…?!"

"What was necessary," Optimus cut in as he stepped forward.

"There was no time for another battle. Earth was in imminent danger," Talida added remorsefully.

"So you destroyed the only device in any universe that would be capable of restoring our home?!" Ratchet stuttered sadly as he leant against the console, his legs no longer able to support his weight, "Optimus, Talida, we needed that…"

"You weren't there, doc!" Smokescreen reminded the medic rather harshly, "It's not your place to second guess a battlefield decision!"

"IT MOST CERTAINLY IS!" Ratchet snapped back in anger, "THERE HAD TO BE ANOTHER WAY!"

"It wasn't that simple, Ratchet," Jack said as he, Miko and Raf – having been freed from their confinements – walked up the stairs to one of the platforms near him.

"Megatron was using the Omega Lock to attack the Earth," Raf announced, his voice filled with the hope that the medic would understand and the desperation to make him understand.

"Optimus and Talida saved our planet!" Miko piped in defiantly.

"We didn't have another choice, Ratchet," Talida murmured sadly. However, she didn't know if she was trying to reassure Ratchet or herself.

"BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR PLANET?!" Ratchet cried hopelessly, "All of our struggles and Energon spilled, countless sacrifices, the time Arcee had to spend under Sentinel Prime's command – FOR NOTHING?!"

"Right decision or wrong, what's done is done! But we have another problem here on this world! The 'Cons just changed the rules when they put Jack, Miko and Raf into play!" Arcee stepped in.

"The game just took a turn in a direction neither of us wanted it to," Talida muttered darkly, "The Decepticons are the darkness to our light. It's consuming us all. Something that Alpha Trion and Rayna used to say when times got desperate was this: the rising darkness results in fading light. The fading light leads to rising storms. The rising storms lead to fading suns. And the fading suns…well, you and I both know where that leads."

"Rising Waves," Ratchet finished.

"_PRIME!_"

"Uh-oh," Talida cringed slightly when she heard Fowler's angry voice over the monitor.

"_The Pentagon's preparing to go DEF-COM 1! I need to know what we're dealing with!_"

"To what do you refer, Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked as he stepped forward.

"_Maybe you should step outside and see for yourselves._"

"Oh no," Talida whispered sadly before quickly turning to Jack, Miko and Raf, "Go to my room. In my closet, there's four backpacks with all our names on them. Grab them. Than meet up with me when I come back."

"Ratchet, watch the children," Optimus instructed.

"Lida, what's going on?" Jack immediately demanded.

"I'll tell you when I know. Just trust me," Talida pleaded.

* * *

The helicopter pad separated into two as the elevator approached the cliffy roof. Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen stood on the elevator, looking up towards the skies that had blackened with dark, stormy, angry clouds. Immediately, they saw what Fowler was talking about.

There was a towering fortress standing tall in front of them – one of Cybertronian structure. Immediately, they knew this was the result of the Omega Beam on Earth. Slowly, they stepped off the elevator onto the yellowish-brown rocky cliffs that made up the structure of the base that was supposed to be above top-secret. Instantly, Fowler raced towards them, having landed his helicopter next to them.

"Megatron has accomplished the first phase in his Cyberforming of Earth," Optimus rumbled darkly, "The construction of his fortress."

"In Jasper, Nevada. I don't get it. I already had the town evacuated. Why here?" Fowler asked.

"**LOOK! THE WARSHIP!**" Bumblebee cried as he pointed to the skies.

The appearance of the Nemesis from the clouds surrounding the fortress answered all the questions Fowler had – and the fears Talida kept hidden from her family.

Until now.

"Because they found us," Talida answered fearfully, "They know that we're here. They know where our base is. They found it! They found us!"

Aboard the Nemesis, Megatron – still injured from the battle on Cybertron – was rallying his troops for the battle that would change the tide of the Autobot/Decepticon war forever.

"Our opportunity to revive Cybertron has been lost due to the treachery of Optimus Prime! But from our fortress of New Kaon, we will instead seize control of this world! DECEPTICONS! TRANSFORM AND RISE UP!" Megatron roared.

"I THOUGHT HE'D NEVER ASK!" Starscream cheered joyfully before transforming and taking off with Seekers chasing after him, eager for the taste of Autobot Energon, "COME, MY ARMADA! ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!"

"ARCEE, WATCH OUT!" Optimus cried as he immediately went to shield his pregnant spark mate.

"Don't tell me your father got your stepmother pregnant AGAIN?!" Fowler moaned as Talida shielded them with her powers.

"Why the tone of surprise?" Talida retorted before looking over the horizons, "Oh shit."

"What?" Fowler demanded.

"I HATE THESE THINGS!" Talida screamed.

Everybody began fighting against the Insecticons that were slowly approaching them. However, deep down, they knew it wouldn't be enough. Especially since there were more coming than they could ever defeat.

"OPTIMUS!"

Talida looked up surprised at the sound of the voice. It couldn't be…

But it was. Malita was appearing on her signature hover bike, wearing dark blue jeans, a black halter-neck top and black knee-high boots with her hair in a ponytail.

"I thought you were dead!" Talida called up to her.

"I thought _you_ were dead!" Malita retorted, "I heard about what Megatron did to you last month. Everybody in the universe that's Cybertronian heard about it!"

"Word gets around easy," Fowler couldn't help but remark.

"I'll hold them off. Get the others to safety while you still can," Malita suggested.

"Wait. What about you?!" Talida asked.

"I'll meet up with you later. Now go!" Malita pleaded before taking off.

"Everybody fall back!" Talida instructed.

Optimus, Talida, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Smokescreen went to retreat. When Bulkhead turned around, he was surprised to see Fowler climb back into his black, government-issue helicopter and ignite its rotors once more.

"Fowler, what are you doing?" Bulkhead demanded.

"My job, two-ton!" Fowler answered as he slid on his headset with the microphone attached.

As Fowler took off, the Autobots descended back into the underground confines of their base. Deep down, they knew it would be the last time they would see it.

As Fowler approached the citadel, he prayed that he knew what he was doing. When he was first assigned to them, he never dreamt of doing anything like this. But his country was in danger of falling to alien invaders lusting for power. Something else he knew is that if he didn't do something and just allow America to fall under Decepticon control, the Decepticons would take over the world.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed a button on his gearstick and fired projectiles at the citadel and the oncoming Decepticon forces daring to stop him. Unfortunately for Fowler, the Decepticons flew past him and continued opening fire on the Autobot base.

* * *

"What's happening?!" Jack asked as he, Miko and Raf approached Ratchet who was trying to protect Cayden.

"What is going on out there?!" Ratchet demanded as Optimus took Cayden into his own arms.

"The Decepticons have invaded Jasper," Optimus answered.

"And Fowler and Malita think they can hold them off," Bulkhead added.

"MALITA?!" Ratchet cried in disbelief, "That's impossible! She died months ago! Talida turned off her life support!"

"When I know how she's alive, I'll tell you. But right now, we have more important things to worry about!" Talida snapped impatiently before turning to Jack, "Did you get the backpacks?"

"Just like you asked," Jack nodded as he tossed Talida's backpack to her casually with a shrug.

'_I was afraid it would come down to this,_' Talida thought to herself.

* * *

Fowler was flying around the open desert trying to divert Decepticon fire. He knew this would allow the Autobots time to come up with a plan of action or, in his opinion was the best option, high-tail it out of there and regroup later on.

"Special Agent William Fowler to Air Defense Command! I need immediate combat support!" Fowler spoke into the radio.

Fowler cried in surprise when one of the shots fired by the Vehicons hit his helicopter hard enough to knock some metal loose, revealing the wires and the circuitry underneath. As Fowler rounded the corner, the situation got worse. Insecticons blocked his way.

"Come on, Air Defense Command," Fowler muttered as he began to pray.

* * *

"Here, bugsy, bugsy," Malita smirked as she flew around.

Insecticons were following Malita as she distracted them from the Autobot base. Inwardly, she prayed that her cousin would do the right thing and abandon ship. Because she knew that the Decepticons wouldn't stop until they were all dead.

"ARGH!"

Malita cried out as one of the shots fired from the Insecticons hit her hover bike. Despite her efforts to avoid the situation, she ended up in a rapid crash dive. Seeing no other option, she jumped when she was closer to the ground.

It didn't stop her from landing hard and losing consciousness.

* * *

To Fowler's surprise, the Insecticons threatening him were destroyed by unknown Energon projectiles.

"I'll be triple dipped," Fowler grumbled as he looked up to see who his savior was, "_Prime! Reinforcements just arrived!_"

"Fowler, are you crazy?! They're no match for Decepticon forces! Pull them back!" Talida instructed.

"_Didn't think I was gonna let Team Prime have all the fun, did ya?!_"

"Ha ha! It's Jackie!" Bulkhead cheered.

"Wheeljack?!" Ratchet exclaimed in surprise and joy.

"How did you know?!" Talida demanded, barely able to contain her joy to see him.

"_Picked up a strange energy surge. Hope you don't mind the company._"

"No. It's just that after everything…well…," Ratchet trailed off.

* * *

"We're still on the same team, doc. Always will be," Wheeljack promised.

With those words said, Wheeljack continued swooping in, attacking any Decepticon – whether it be Vehicon, Seeker or Insecticon – that dared to come within a certain radius of the Autobot base. He then went on out closer to the citadel to stop any Decepticons from coming any closer than they already were. He knew this would be a tough one. So he did something he rarely did – even during his time as a Wrecker.

Pray for success.

* * *

"I was hoping it wouldn't come down to this," Talida confessed to her father.

"Neither did I," Optimus agreed before ordering, "Ratchet, prepare to bridge everyone out of here."

"We're abandoning the base?!" Ratchet gasped in surprise.

"The base is lost, Ratchet. Malita, Wheeljack and Fowler can only protect us for so long. As far as I know, we only have time to escape," Talida told Ratchet before turning to her son, "You and your father are bridging out first."

"You're splitting us up?!" Raf gasped in disbelief.

"Shouldn't we stick together?" Jack asked worriedly.

"All for one and one for all?" Miko piped in weakly.

"If every one of us is captured, than everything is truly lost," Talida shook her head.

"Until we can regroup and launch a counterattack, survival is our only priority now," Optimus proclaimed.

"I'm not leaving you," Jack declared as he stepped forward, "Any of you."

"Well, if everyone gets captured, what happens then?" Talida snapped harshly, "We're the only ones left. Survival is our only option."

"So that's why you had us bring out the backpacks," Miko muttered as she began opening them.

"You'll have everything you need in there. Food. Clean clothes. Maps. First-aid kit. Cash from every nation you can think of. Weapons. And…," Talida smirked as she opened the front pocket of Jack's backpack and revealed a watch identical to her own, "Your very own PGO."

"Our own Portable GroundBridge Operator?!" Raf gasped excitedly as he and Miko pilled theirs out.

"I should've given them to you when you first found out about our little war. They don't have much juice in them. So use it wisely. But don't use them to come back to Jasper, OK? No matter how much you want to, you can't look back once," Talida warned them, "And it's not because they're the prototypes for a new design. They only have enough juice in them to maintain communication. Even then, they only have a limited range. I still have a lot of bugs to work out. Despite that, something's better than nothing."

* * *

Fowler cringed as Decepticons appeared to be coming from all directions to chase after him. So, using some clever movements, he made two Insecticons crash into one another, causing them to explode mid-air over the base. His helicopter was still emitting thick black smoke from when he was hit just before.

"Be damned I'll be outflown by a bunch of toasters is the day I'll…"

Fowler trailed off when a massive shadow was cast over the damaged helicopter. And that shadow was cast by the Nemesis that was casting a shadow over the base he was fighting tooth and nail to protect as well as the occupants inside of it.

Megatron walked towards the edge of one of the many wings of the Nemesis. Something he hadn't even bothered to do was have his severe injuries tended to. It seemed as though he was a dying mech without a single care in the world. Something else that was on his mindset was that the Autobots couldn't win. Because if he ended up going down…

He would take the Autobots with them.

* * *

"You have to go too," Raf pleaded as he hugged his mother.

"I have to make sure everybody else escapes first," Talida shook her head, "Remember what I said. Keep going. Never look back."

"I love you," Raf whispered.

"I love you too," Talida murmured before helping Raf into Bumblebee's vehicle mode, "Keep him safe, Bee!"

"**I'll die trying. Just stay alive until we can be together again,**" Bumblebee begged.

"I promise. Now go! GO!" Talida enforced, her voice cracking from everything coming crashing down onto her.

The sound of screeching tires and Bumblebee's revving engine were the last sounds they heard from either of them as the young scout raced through the GroundBridge. As promised, neither he nor Raf looked back at what they were leaving behind. They would see each other again. They just didn't know when.

"Bulkhead, Miko, you're next," Talida ordered as she hugged Miko, "Do me a favor. Don't drive him too bonkers."

"I hold no promises," Miko smirked slightly.

Then she ran over and jumped into Jack's arms, kissing him in a way that left them both breathless. They didn't know if they would see each other again. So they had to pretend that this was the last time they would ever see each other.

With a trembling frame, Miko turned away from the only life that she knew. She climbed into Bulkhead's vehicle form and did up her seatbelt. Next to her, she saw Jack and Arcee pull up; ready to go for when Ratchet opens their portal. Arcee was trembling slightly at the thought of leaving her family behind. It wasn't supposed to end this way. None of it was. But it was the only way.

"We haven't much time," Optimus pressed.

That was the cue Bulkhead needed to go. With a roaring engine, he raced through the GroundBridge. Like Bumblebee and Raf, he didn't look back. He couldn't find the strength to. He just did what he could. Looked ahead and kept on driving.

"Wait!" Jack cried.

"Jack, there's no-!"

Everyone froze in surprise when Talida raced forward and embraced Jack tightly. Even more when she kissed him. On the cheek, of course. Not the mouth. Once was enough for them. Jack responded in kind by kissing her forehead.

"I love you," Talida choked.

"I love you," Jack whimpered.

With those words said, Jack and Arcee were gone, a heavy weight on their hearts and sparks, respectively.

When they were gone, Talida glanced at Optimus, Ratchet and Smokescreen. They were the only ones left now.

Who would go next?

* * *

June gasped in horror as she saw the Decepticon warship hovering over where she knew the Autobot base was and the Cybertronian structure through the mist. She knew that the Autobots have been very secretive towards the others lately. Even Talida wasn't copping to anything. But this was on a whole new level.

What was happening?

She almost lost control of the car when shots landed on the road next to her. Glancing in her rear vision mirror, she saw a Decepticon approaching her fast. Using fast maneuvers, she tried to maintain control of her car and avoid crashing. However, she only ended up coming to a stop in the centre of the desert highway. The car was straddling over the white dotted line that divided the road into two.

She gasped in horror as the Decepticon transformed and landed in front of her. Its towering bipedal form approached her in a way that struck fear into her. Forgetting that it wasn't normal circumstances, she honked her car horn twice. But it was useless. The Decepticon kept coming.

She was fearing for her life now.

"JUNE?!"

Fowler was flying past and he saw what was happening to his girlfriend. Oh no. This wouldn't fly. Not while he was around. When the gun went out, he lost it. Without a moment's hesitation, he fired multiple shots at the Decepticon, causing it to slant forward and land against the front of June's car, clearly offline.

Shaking slightly, June looked forward and saw the Decepticon against her car. Without thinking about it, she jumped out as the helicopter landed behind her. She raced towards it, ignoring the firefight that was ongoing above her.

Wheeljack would soon have his own troubles in his own climatic battle. Starscream took advantage of the distracted Wrecker and flew behind him.

"You're scrap!"

Those words were Starscream's decree as he fired his missiles at Wheeljack. Gasping in horror at the appearance of projectiles on his monitor closing fast, the former Wrecker immediately began performing high-speed maneuvers. Shuddering, the Jackhammer obeyed the commands of its pilot and flew around the skies, performing tricks at high speeds to avoid contact with the missiles.

Wheeljack cried out when the missiles finally came in contact with his engines. Sparks and explosions engulfed him as he found himself entering a crash dive. Starscream watched in glee as the Jackhammer came crashing down in a patch of desert not far from where the Autobot base was under attack.

"And that's how you wreck a Wrecker!" Starscream cackled.

* * *

Smokescreen turned around as he stood before the activated GroundBridge. Since Arcee, Jack, Bulkhead, Miko, Raf and Bumblebee were gone, it was now his turn to go. He waited expectantly for the person that would accompany him.

"I don't like this," Talida told Optimus as she said goodbye to Cayden.

"You are the only hope the Autobots have in the case of…," Optimus was cut short by Talida's abrupt turn to him.

"If you say 'your demise', I'm going to stay just to spite you," Talida threatened.

No words needed to be said. Optimus knelt down and the two embraced tightly. Talida clung to the necklace she had made for him when she was eight years old. She couldn't believe that he still wore the silly little necklace to this very day. Whenever she brought it up, Optimus had said that it had brought him good luck.

"I love you," Talida sobbed.

"I love you," Optimus choked.

With a heavy spark and tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks, Talida approached Smokescreen, who was giving the Prime one final salute. Transforming, he opened his passenger door, signaling Talida to climb in quickly. When she did, he left and, just like the others, didn't dare to look back once.

"What about you?" Ratchet asked Optimus, watching as his leader kissed Cayden's head with tears streaming down his faceplates.

"I will ensure that the Decepticons do not follow," Optimus proclaimed with a wavering voice.

If it wasn't his words, it was the wavering voice that screamed to Ratchet just what exactly Optimus intended to do once everybody had been evacuated. Instantly, his optics widened in horror. But he didn't dare to argue with him. There wasn't time and there wasn't a way to talk Optimus out of doing this. Trembling servos accepted the sparkling that had become his grandson.

"DADA!"

Both of them froze as they heard the tiny voice wail in a way that broke their sparks.

"DADA! DADA!" Cayden wailed as he fought against Ratchet's hold.

"I'm sorry, my son," Optimus sobbed as he kissed Cayden's head over and over again, "I love you. I'm so sorry."

As Ratchet approached the GroundBridge portal, he turned to Optimus and said his parting words to the mech who was his leader and dearest, oldest friend, "I…never imagined it would end like this."

When Ratchet and Cayden disappeared into the blinding light and the GroundBridge portal disappeared, Optimus whispered his own response,

"Neither did I, old friend."

Turning to the GroundBridge controls, he surrendered fully to his tears, clenching his fists. He knew what he had to do now.

He had to keep his family safe.

And possibly die doing so.

* * *

Above the Autobot base, a device was appearing from beneath the Nemesis. Automatically, the device mantled itself and began powering up to fire. Shining brightly at the end of it was a red light that turned white as its velocity grew.

Fowler and June watched in horror as they approached the area in Fowler's damaged helicopter.

* * *

As the laser charged above them, Optimus grabbed his sword, which glowed in his hands, and raised it high above his head, preparing to strike the controls. Body trembling. Sobs escaping. Tears streaming. He was an emotional wreck. Knowing that he could possibly die, he surrendered willingly to his hot tears. Tears consisted of every regret he held close to his spark since becoming Prime. There wasn't anything he would give to reverse them all. But he couldn't. Everything was in the past and set in stone. There was no turning back now. Everybody he knew – everybody he loved – was gone to a safe place now.

"I love you all!"

Optimus made that roar for everyone. Rayna. His parents. Talida. Arcee. Ratchet. Bulkhead. Bumblebee. Smokescreen Jack. Raf. Even Miko. He loved them all. Now, he was about to die for them.

As the laser fired…

As Optimus lowered his sword…

_BOOM!_

Fowler and June watched in horror as the Autobots base – a home they knew – was destroyed by something as simple as smoke and flames. When the smoke cleared, they surveyed the damage. The base was nothing but a pile of rocks and twisted metal. Nothing but a pit of never ending flames. Nothing but a chimney of smoke. The base was nothing at all. Filled with nothing. Knowing nothing. Just…nothing.

"NO!" June gasped in horror as she immediately began to fear the worse.

Fowler sighed in despair. Like June, he didn't know whether or not the others had managed to escape the base before it was a smoldering pit of flames. Heck. He wasn't even sure if anybody would be able to survive an explosion like that. All hope was lost.

It was game over.

* * *

Megatron and Starscream flew towards the results of their destructive ways. They were greeted by orange flames. Black smoke. Crumbling piles of rock. Twisted, melted metal. It almost reminded them of the numerous cities that had fallen during the War for Cybertron – by both their hands and the Autobot's. However, they knew that this was different compared to the War for Cybertron. There was more pride in the possible knowledge of the Autobot's demise.

No one could have survived this.

When they landed on the ground, they saw the Autobot insignia on the ground. Once a symbol of hope, prosperity, honor and dignity, it now symbolized nothing. Because the Autobots were nothing more than mere dust particles in the wind. Drifting aimlessly with no end in the journey that would continue on forever.

"This is the place alright," Starscream proclaimed as he glanced at the insignia.

"This _was _the place," Megatron corrected knowingly, smirk on his face.

"United we stand. Divided, they fall," Starscream sneered.

They would do a thorough search of the base for significant wreckage later. But they would miss something important – both in the quick onceover and the search with the fine tooth comb…

And that was the hand sticking out of the rubble clutching the handle of his sword, sparks flying everywhere.

They would miss the hand of Optimus Prime.

"_Hold on. The weight of the world,  
__Will give you the strength to go…  
__So hold on. The weight of the world,  
__Will give you the strength to go…  
__So hold on. The weight of the world,  
__Will give you the strength to go…  
__Just hold on. The weight of the world,  
__Will give you the strength to go…_"

* * *

**NO! OPTIMUS!**

**I was SO TEMPTED to have Talida stay at the base with Optimus for that bit. But considering how everybody reacted to the last time I killed Talida off…I decided that it wasn't worth the risk. For one thing, I value my life. Another: I wanna be able to write **_**Fading Suns**_** and **_**Rising Seas**_**.**

**OK. Here are the songs I wanna do in my five song-fics.**

_**Blackbirds**_** by Linkin Park  
**_**Innocence**_** by Avril Lavigne  
**_**Chasing Cars**_** by Snow Patrol  
**_**Apologize**_** by OneRepublic  
**_**Fix You**_** by Coldplay**

**They're the songs I wanna do. Here's the catch. I don't know what the central plot for them is. And I don't wanna do them about everyone going their own separate ways. It can be whatever you want it to be about as long as you STICK TO THE SONGS! If you've never heard of them, listen to them. They're amazing songs and you'll see why I picked them.**

**OK. You guys know what to do by now. Yes. The story's over. But no. It isn't. Strange. I know. But the usual routine still applies. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	29. Blackbirds

**Officially, the story is over. But since I love you guys, I'm doing the extra one-shots as promised. First up is **_**Blackbirds**_**.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**VectorSigma101: **_**AWWW! I cried when Cayden cried for his dada! :( But a very good chapter and I can't wait for more!**_

**Neither can I and I'm writing it!**

**devildog452: **_**Will you tell me when you made another Talida story?**_

**Dude, just add me to your author alert and you'll get an email when I upload the chapter.**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME CHAPTER! Even Though I know what happens, I can't wait!  
**_

**I can always change things up…**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Wow, Cayden's first words… I remember reading this comment, when the new Upgraded Optimus Prime returns to Team Prime, that Cayden could also take his first step towards him, to… To umm… To hug him I guess.**_

**That would be cute.**

**haloangel21: **_**This episode was so sad. Gut-wrenching. I thought he was going to die. Of course he did for a second or two…and he turned out okay!  
**_

_**I don't know about co-writing a story with you. My writing's not that good.**_

**Who told you that bullshit?! You write WAY better than I ever will, halo! You're an amazing writer! Never doubt myself. I would be honored to write a story with you. Anyone tells you otherwise, send them to me and your other loyal devoted fans and we'll straighten you out.**

**Guest: **_**Suomynona**_

_**Cayden's first words! AW!  
**_

**They had to happen eventually.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Ok. ***__**wipes away tears**__*** I cried a lot during thid episode, and now I'm crying worse. Not many other stories do that. You did a great job on this story. I can't wait for the next.**_

**It ain't over just yet.**

**Iwriteallkindsofanime: (from chapter 18) **_**This chapter is really good ! Though I don't mind BBxTalida pair , I actually like SmokesXTal more..HEHE! sorry!**_

**Don't apologize. I can write you a one-shot where Smokescreen and Talida are in love if you want me to. PM me if you have a request. …of course, this was written before I PM'd you.**

**Awesomo3000: **_**OMG, THIS EPISODE WAS SO AWESOME! BUT THE WAY YOU WROTE IT WAS EVEN MORE AWESOME! FIGHTING, EXPLOSIONS, MALITA COMING BACK, JUST SO DAMN AWESOME! **__***breathes**__*** Sorry 'bout that.**_

_**But the ending for this episode made me tear up. A lot. :( Did you think Optimus and Wheeljack were dead when you first saw this? I didn't know WHAT to think.**_

**I was a blubbering emotional mess when I first watched the episode. But when I had to write it?! It took so long because I had to stop and cry!**

**Guest: **_**El scrapo!  
**_

**Wha?**

**Ninjabot01: **_**that was great and very gripping I was wondering who would be with Cayden and cant wait for the next part, hope everyone is ok. Question, is this the last chapter of the story? Anyway keep up the good work and it was surprise to see Malita back go girl.**_

**Technically, it was the last chapter of the story. But I'm doing bonus song-fics like I did with **_**Rising Darkness**_**.**

**lancepm: **_**princess Rayna:by the power of the of ancients I combine your sparks as one.**_

_**Miko:the lord of the rings got nothing on you, your majesty.**_

**I don't read or watch Lord of the Rings.**

**kayleesullivan2000: **_**Make some more soon please! I love this series and all the chapters! Please continoue!  
**_

**I promise I will continue.**

**WinterSnow13: **_**I 3 Linkin Park! My favorite songs are Castle of Glass and Iridescent. What's yours?**_

**ALL OF THEM!**

**Sami-SDGForce: **_**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!  
**__**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!  
**__**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!  
**__**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!  
**__**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!  
**__**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!  
**__**Plz let every-1 be o.K?!**_

**I can't promise anything.**

**Shadow Katakura: **_**There are only two words I have to describe this chapter: Ah frag.**_

**Good or bad?**

**Jetstorm'sGirl: **_**These just keep getting better and better! Keep up the good work, and thanks for all your hard work. :)**_

**I promise to do so.**

**Stopmotiontk421: **_**OMG! That was EPIC! I swear that almost as good as the episode itself, and I happen to have season 2. Can't wait to see season 3; BTW I'm courious about the episode "Plus One"; wat'd ya think. And another thing, that was sooooo sweet when Optimus said "I love you all" that was so sweet & touching; make me wanna cry. I LOVE this story!  
**_

**Glad you do.**

**dx-1118: **_**Thank you for uploading this AWESOME chapter and thank you for considering my idea. No, Rei is not Shinji's sister, she's a clone made from his dead mother and Lilith, the Second Angel. Yeah, Shinji's father is kind of a evil bastard. If you have any other questions about Evangelion, let me know, but I don't want to spoil it too much for you. Like I said, you can find the episodes online pretty easily. If you're still unsure about it, look up 'neon genesis evangelion opening' on youtube and choose the second video on the page (the one that's 1 minute 30 seconds long, called 'Neon Genesis Evangelion opening HD'). Like I said, Evangelion has one of the best opening themes ever.**_

**It doesn't really sound like my cup of tea to be honest. Maybe someone else might.**

**Galem: ***_**pants as she comes to a stop**__*** Have you any idea how long you've had me holding my breath over here? I've nearly turned blue 5 times! You've certainly sent me on quite the rollercoaster and I'm eager for more. One thing I wanted to ask: if Talida is supposed to become queen of Cybertron when it's revived, does that make Bumblebee the new king and Raf its prince?**_

**Yep.**

**yorkmaniac89: **_**I can't wait to read more. I'm already on the edge of my seat.**_

**Well, we still have a bit to go.**

**Anon Guy: **_**I assume the next story featuring the first four episodes of season three will be more than four chapters long like the Orion Pax one you wrote.**_

_**Also, what'd you think of ep 6, practically Miko the the apex armor kicking con butt? Ah ha, take that Screamer!**_

**I'll admit. That was cool. And yes, you guessed correctly. **_**Fading Suns**_** will be like what I did with **_**Fading Light**_**. I'm gonna go by when they go on ad breaks every episode.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.  
****© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.  
**_**Blackbirds**_** rightfully belongs to Linkin Park and Warner Bros. Records.**

**This one-shot is set in Talida Prime: Fading Light between the final two chapters. Yeah. We're going WAY back in time. That's the theme with the song-fics. Back in time or alternate universe. This one is, obviously, back in time where Talida evaluates her own inner darkness after she, Arcee and Jack almost died getting Optimus back.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_Drop that! Get up!  
__Take to the streets!  
__Better lock that kid up!  
__Face full of teeth when he hock that spit up!  
__Pacing the beat like a beast!  
__Rocking the block on repeat!  
__Speak from the cut like a rush of blood!  
__Paint red on the sleeves of the ones you love!  
__Lay the sick ones down and the bells will ring!  
__Put pennies on the eyes! Let the dead men sing!_

Talida clutched the plaster that was wrapped around her right arm, shielding the fractured wrist underneath as she looked at herself in the mirror. She was different. She was darker. More fragile. Less of the happy, go-lucky person she once was.

But hard times had fallen upon them and she had to really step up and be the leader they needed. Her father was gone, leaving her more alone than before. Despite how much they covered it up, they were busy worrying about their own grief.

They never really noticed hers.

_I shiver and shake the warm air cold.  
__I'm alone on my own…  
__In every mistake, I dig this hole,  
__Through my skin and bones…_

They never noticed that she was suffering. Then again, it was her fault in a way. She had spent every second her father was gone covering up her own grief, making sure that no one found out and focused on keeping everybody else alive. But they never knew how deep she was spiraling into the depression that plagued her. They didn't know how close she had come to cutting. They didn't know how close she had come to suicide.

They never knew how close she was to ending it.

_It's harder starting over…  
__Than never to have changed…_

Looking at herself again, she saw how she was still covered in bruises and a bit of blood that she simply didn't have the energy to wash off; even after being home for close to 24 hours. She knew that some of the injuries would leave scars in their places. Those were something she shrugged off. What were a few more scars? She already had several on her body from close encounters over the years.

But the emotional scars; they were the big ones. The physical scars – even though they would still be there – would slowly fade and be less noticeable. The emotional scars were the ones that stuck around forever.

No matter how hard she tried to hard them, they always showed.

In fact, they were becoming her grave.

_With blackbirds following me,  
__I'm digging out my grave…  
__They close in, swallowing me.  
__The pain, it comes in waves…  
__I'm getting back what I gave…_

There would be times where she would be suffocating. As though something from deep inside her was clawing his way up to her throat and blocking her airway. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't feel. Sometimes, she couldn't move. She loses everything she knows with this horrible weight pulling her down.

The cast itched. But she couldn't feel it. Looking in the mirror, she saw nothing but the emotions repressed inside of her. Even though they weren't there physically on her body, they were there in her mind.

Her arms were covered in scars and cuts – old and fresh. Her cheeks were tearstained. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her clothes were ripped and shredded. Parts of her body were covered in blood, soaking its way into her long, wavy brown hair and bangs sticking to her forehead due to the blood and sweat.

It was the result of war. And it wasn't just the ongoing war between the Autobots and the Decepticons.

It was the result of an inner war – a war involving her emotional turmoil.

_I sweat through the sheet as daylight fades,  
__As I waste away…  
__It traps me inside, mistakes I've made.  
__That's the price I pay…_

She walked over to her dressing table with the stool in front so she can sit in front of the mirror every time she wants to put makeup on for a special occasion. This time, she didn't lay out the foundation, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, blush or lip gloss. Instead, she laid out most of the contents in her first aid kit. She decided that once and for all, she would clean the blood off her face.

She only wished she could clean the scars away with the blood.

_It's harder starting over...  
__Than never to have changed…_

It was only then that she noticed the tiredness laced in her bloodshot blue eyes. She hadn't slept the previous night despite what Bumblebee had thought. Nightmares of her journey to Cybertron plagued her like an illness that was unshakeable. Even on the train ride to Iacon on Cybertron, she didn't sleep. Sure. She closed her eyes. But it was to put up an act. Her mind wouldn't allow her to rest.

She knew that if this kept up, she would become an insomniac, possibly pass out from tiredness in the middle of a battle and be confined to base until she recovered – which would take several months. She couldn't handle that. Team Prime couldn't afford it. They were small enough as it was.

She wondered if anyone would notice.

_With blackbirds following me,  
__I'm digging out my grave…  
__They close in, swallowing me.  
__The pain, it comes in waves…  
__I'm getting back what I gave…_

"Talida?"

Talida yelled and jumped in surprise at the sound of the voice coming behind her. Whipping around so fast, she gave herself whiplash, she saw Optimus looking at her with concern laced in the blue eyes of his rugged holoform face. She forced herself to calm down and relax. Her lungs wouldn't be able to handle a panic attack. She also thought her father wouldn't be able to handle it either.

"Are you alright?" Optimus asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Talida lied through her teeth.

The last thing she needed was her father to worry about her. Jack was already suffocating her with his smothering. And Optimus had other things to worry about – such as his spark mate and newborn sparkling – to spend time focusing on the wellbeing of his teenage daughter.

"You are anything but fine, Talida," Optimus insisted as he knelt before her, "You may not lie to me often. But I can always tell when my daughter is hiding the truth from me."

"I'm fine," Talida repeated.

"Don't lie to me, sweetspark," Optimus pleaded.

"Dad! I'm fine, OK?! Can we just leave it at that?!" Talida snapped.

Then she stormed out, leaving her father more worried than before.

_I drop to the floor like I did before!  
__Stop watching! I'm coughing! I can't be more!  
__What I want and what I need are at constant war!  
__Like a well full of poison! A rotten core!  
__The blood goes thin! The fever stings!  
__And I shake from the hell that the habits bring!  
__Let the sick ones down! The bells will ring!  
__Put pennies on the eyes! Let the dead men sing!_

She had bridged herself away from the worried watchful eyes of the others. Something Talida didn't want was to finally break in front of everybody else. What she also didn't want was for everyone to treat her like a china doll. Vulnerable. Weak. Like it could shatter if you simply held it in your arms. Everyone had their own things to worry about. They couldn't worry about her.

She wouldn't let them.

It was only when she arrived that she saw where she was. The Bohinj Valley. Shaking, she stumbled backwards. This was the last place she needed to be. However, she was there now, there was no one around and no looking back.

So she ran.

_Blackbirds following me.  
__I'm digging out my grave…  
__They close in, swallowing me.  
__The pain, it comes in waves…  
__I'm getting back what I gave…_

When she reached the edge of the lake, she couldn't run anymore. She couldn't breathe. Ratchet was going to fry some circuits when he realizes that she had deliberately aggravated her still fragile lungs. But right now, she wanted her collapsed lung to be the end of her. She wanted to die right then and there.

Sobs choking her, tears threatening to spill down her face, she stood with her toes hovering over the calm, yet tempting, waters of the lake. She wanted to jump. She wanted to dive in, swim to the bottom and only float up in death.

Just one more step…

"TALIDA!"

Before she could take that step, someone roughly pulled her away from the lake. She found herself sitting across someone's lap in the lush green grass field. Through her blurry vision, she could see the familiar blue eyes of her father.

She broke.

_I'm getting back what I gave…_

Optimus held her close to him, rocking back and forth slightly as she cried. Running his fingers through her hair, rubbing her back, hushing her and whispering comforting words, he tried desperately to soothe his daughter. Whenever she was a child and she woke up crying due to a nightmare, he would do this to soothe her and most times, he would successfully lull her back to sleep. However, he knew this was different.

This nightmare wasn't one of those simple unpleasant dreams that cause a strong emotional response from the mind. This was a living nightmare. Everything that was currently happening all around her was a nightmare. However, this was one she couldn't wake up from.

This is a nightmare that would follow her for the rest of her life.

As Optimus tried in vain to soothe his anxious daughter, he couldn't help but ask himself.

Will his daughter – his little girl – ever recover from the physical and emotional trauma?

_I'm getting back what I gave…_

* * *

**Now that I think about it, this probably would've suited **_**Fix You**_** more. But…Talida's emotions are slowly becoming her grave. She's falling into darkness. She's more vulnerable. She was like this in **_**Rising Storms**_**. However, nobody saw it. She's too good at suppressing her emotions. Something that only occurs when she breaks is her revealing her emotions. Yes. Talida will remain emotionally fragile for the remainder of the series. Everything that will happen in **_**Fading Suns**_** will traumatize her severely. Transforming her into someone who refuses to show her emotions.**

_**Innocence**_** by Avril Lavigne will be the next song-fic that I will write. Boy. Am I gonna have an interesting time coming up with a plot for this one…**

**You guys should know what to do by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	30. Innocence

**Hello, my favourite people…**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Hmm…Avril?! I've heard that name somewhere before… From someone who I consider, a friend.**_

_***Sigh**__*** What was I gonna say? Ah yes! I don't know how but… Somewhere along the way, have me or Rayna say this to Talida, 'We all make choices, but in the end… Our choices, make, us.'**_

**Maybe…**

**Galem: **_**Seeing Optimus trying to comfort hid distraught daughter brings back memories. And yes, I did sob while reading this.**_

**How do you think I felt writing this?!**

**Jetstorm'sGirl: (1) **_**Wow I'm crying for Talida. It's so sad that her emotions and everything are becoming her grave. :( I wish I could hug her.**_

_**Please update soon!**_

**(2) **_**Wow I'm crying for Talida. It's so sad that her emotions and everything are becoming her grave. :( I wish I could hug her. Give her a hug for me Ice please?**_

_**Please update soon and thanks for the awesome chapter, loved it!**_

**I'll be sure to give her a hug for you.**

**Awesomo3000: ***_**sniffs**__*** Poor Talida… :'(**_

**I'm seeing a lot of reviews like this.**

**Bee4ever: **_**Wow, poor Talida!**_

**She'll get better eventually. All she needs is time and to be around her family.**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME CHAPTER! Poor Talida! I can understand that kind of depression, really.**_

**So can I. I've seen friends go through it.**

**lancepm: **_**yes with the help of an old friend and fellow incarnation, kunai prime (no relation) the grandson of rodimus prime. Whose personality is vain, funny and understanding.**_

**Eh?**

**lavax-1000: **_**dude, suicide is a wave which no 1 can ride, that's why grads need to surf the good life, you dig?**_

**I don't understand.**

**Megatronus117: **_**Prime did good in following her as would I, What about you ice**_

**I would have followed her to make sure she didn't do something stupid.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Poor Talida. I know her feelings all too well… please update!  
**_

**I think it's the ignorant people that wouldn't understand.**

**Shadow Katakura: **_**Poor Talida! Hope you update soon!**_

**Don't I always?**

**haloangel21: **_**:C I'm sad now…Kleenex, please?**_

**Aloe Vera or Eucalyptus?**

**CZSTeridaxPrime: **_**Man, I don't know how Optimus 2.0. & Arcee can interface now without him crushing her to smithereens.**_

_**ESTVortexDelta: Maybe with there Holoforms it be easier. You should write Smut again.**_

**Maybe… I'll think about it.**

**Guest: **_**Jee she's messed up**_

**She's not messed up. She's traumatized.**

**kayleesullivan2000: **_**Awesome! U are like the best writer ever! I follow this entire series!  
**_

**Well, there's two more stories to go until its over.**

**yorkmaniac89: (from chapter 6) **_**pwnage to the general. I hated that asshole**_

**Who didn't?**

**VectorSigma101: ***_**frantically waits for new chapters* :D**_

**Chill. It's on its way.**

**Lucky for you guys, I came down with a cold that's going around school. So…good news: I CAN WORK ON THE CHAPPY!**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Innocence**_** rightfully belongs to Avril Lavigne and RCA Records.**

**© I don't own the quotes.**

**This chapter is set years before the first chapter of **_**Rising Darkness**_**. Remember that chapter I posted in **_**Love and Forever**_** called **_**Forever Young**_**? This chapter's gonna pretty much have the same layout as **_**Forever Young**_**. It's about Optimus and Talida and some moments they share growing up. Basically, Optimus is reflecting on how innocent Talida is and how he regrets the fact that she has to be brought up in the centre of a raging war.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

There are many sayings Optimus had heard throughout his life about choices. They range from, "Those who choose to succeed always do better than those who never choose at all" to, "The highest levels are most certainly filled with those who choose to be there." But there was one that was his favourite. And it went like this:

"Each day that passes, your choices will come and go. They are like diamonds in a chest of jewels, each waiting to be discovered."

That was certainly the case the day he decided to help Rosalie bare a child.

He could never regret the result.

_Waking up, I see that everything is OK.  
__The first time in my life and now it's so great.  
__Slowing down, I look around and I am so amazed.  
__I think about the little things that make life great._

He remembered how the first few months of her life, he couldn't leave her alone at night. It broke his spark whenever he wasn't able to watch over her as she slept. In fact, for the first two weeks of her life, he didn't. Ratchet didn't find out until he walked in on them one night.

"Why are you still up, old friend?" Optimus asked Ratchet when he came into Talida's nursery.

"I could ask you the same," Ratchet retorted, "You need sleep, Optimus. You will be of no use on the battlefield if you don't get a good recharge and you certainly can't care for an infant on no sleep."

"I know, old friend. I just…," Optimus trailed off.

"You fear that something will happen to her if you are asleep," Ratchet realized.

"I know it's irrational…," Optimus began.

"Bullscrap!" Ratchet snapped, earning a glare from Optimus as Talida stirred in her sleep, causing Ratchet to lower his voice, "You're a first time father, Optimus. It's perfectly normal to fear for the safety of your offspring. Especially in these circumstances. Sure. We may live in a base that according to others doesn't exist. But that still doesn't mean that a Decepticon can attack."

"It is not just a Decepticon attack I fear," Optimus confessed.

"SIDS," Ratchet sighed.

After the successful conception of Talida, everyone took to researching what can happen in the raising of a human baby. Among them was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. No one knows what causes it or if there is any cure for this disease. That was what scared Optimus the most. That he would go to sleep and then wake up the next morning to find his daughter dead in the safety of her cot.

"There is nothing to fear, Optimus. She is a healthy spar-," Ratchet began.

"Baby," Optimus immediately corrected.

"Don't start that again," Ratchet muttered, already hearing that enough for Arcee, "My point is she will have nothing to fear growing up because she has you as her protector."

After Ratchet left to recharge on Optimus' orders, the Autobot leader sighed quietly as he glanced at the precious little baby in the white cot. He noticed that when she had stirred before, her blanket had begun falling off her body. So, as gently and as quiet as he could, he reached down and pulled it higher over her small, defenseless body. When he ran a finger up her small arm, he froze when she sleepily grasped his finger in her hand. He smiled, deciding not to move. Her innocence was something he always treasured.

But deep down, he wondered how long the innocence would last.

_I wouldn't change a thing about it.  
__This is the best feeling…_

The older Talida became, the tougher the war seemed to get for the Autobots. Especially since the Decepticons had somehow discovered Talida's existence. However today, Megatron decided to make a rather hurtful suggestion about her. This caused Optimus to do something he rarely did – lose it. And lose it bad. Everyone witnessing this – Autobot and Decepticon alike – was terrified by him. If snide comments made Optimus lose it, they could only imagine what would happen if someone had actually caused bodily harm to his baby.

Ratchet was surprised when he saw Optimus race past him without a care. Concern and shock was written on his face as he turned to face the others. Bumblebee almost looked scared. Arcee looked sympathetic for her soul mate. Bulkhead…well…he looked like he wanted to pound more Decepticons to scrap. Bulkhead's reaction alone was enough to tell him what had happened out there. The role of Talida's godfather was a role that Bulkhead took very seriously. Especially after they discovered she was the incarnation of his one true love.

When Optimus ran into her room, he let out the sigh he realized he was holding. He saw Talida – his baby – sitting on the floor playing with her wooden blocks. He was content with sitting by and watching her for a few moments before she looked up with wide blue eyes with lavender circles and noticed his appearance.

"Daddy!" Talida squealed happily as she stood up and raced forward.

He hadn't realized that he had been crying when he felt his daughter hug his hand, saw her look up with those wide innocently curious eyes and say to him,

"Don't cry, daddy."

There are a lot of things that he would fight for.

For her to keep her innocence is one of them.

_This innocent is brilliant.  
__I hope that it will stay.  
__This moment is perfect.  
__Please don't go away.  
__I need you now…  
__And I'll hold on to it.  
__Don't you let it pass you by…_

Three years later, there had been another tiring day. One that almost killed them. Arcee had come back injured and Optimus had to be held back by Bulkhead and Bumblebee so he wouldn't kill the Decepticon that harmed Arcee on his watch. Then he remembered that this wasn't Cybertron. He wouldn't get away with it.

Especially with Fowler as their babysitter.

Talida was watching from the recreation area as they returned to the base. Staring was rude. That was instilled into her the moment she started school. However, there were moments where her curiosity would get the best of her. This was one of them. Seeing someone return home injured broke her heart. Even if she didn't fully understand why they would race out guns blazing every day (a fact that Optimus couldn't help but be extremely grateful for).

"Talida, you shouldn't be seeing this," Optimus rumbled as he approached her.

"Will Arcee be OK?" Talida asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine, sweetspark. She's strong," Optimus promised as he scooped her into his hand, "Come. You shouldn't be seeing this."

"I wanna stay," Talida protested.

"You will see her when she's been tended to. I promise," Optimus swore.

Seeing his daughter so distraught shattered him. But seeing her innocence slipping away at the tender age of five because of her witnessing the horrors of war?

It would kill him.

_I found a place. So safe. Not a single tear.  
__The first time in my life and now, it's so clear.  
__Feel calm. I belong. I'm so happy here.  
__It's so strong. And now I let myself be sincere._

Ten years old was when her innocence had truly begun to be destroyed. Optimus, Arcee, Bulkhead and Bumblebee were out battling Decepticons. Ratchet, as usual, was left in charge of Talida while they were out fighting. However, Talida wasn't one who enjoyed staying still in one place. Oh no. Something she loved to do was explore the world around her…and tobogganing. So when Ratchet wasn't looking, she did something that would, in six years time, be described as 'pulling a Miko'.

She followed them through the GroundBridge.

Talida was always careful whenever she was out, fearing what would happen. Naturally, she knew where the safest places to hide would be and how to avoid being crushed by ongoing fights between the Autobots and Decepticons.

She saw her father fight what seemed to be a hundred million Vehicons at once. Never before had she seen her father look so strong, brave and dangerous. Smirking, she knew that the Vehicons he was fighting wouldn't stand a chance.

Then she heard the familiar sounds of a blaster cannon charging from above. Looking up, she gasped in horror at the sight of Megatron standing above her. Trembling in fear, she backed up until her back collided with the hiding rock. This was her first encounter with Megatron. Sure. She had seen pictures of him. But until now, she had never met her uncle.

"Ah… Look what we have here," Megatron mused, "An Autobot stowaway!"

That last remark caused Optimus to freeze in horror as he beat many Vehicons. When he found the strength to turn to face Megatron, his horror only grew. Seeing Megatron hold his blaster over his little girl stabbed him like a thousand knives.

Just like Megatron was taking a thousand knives to her innocence.

_I wouldn't change a thing about it.  
__This is the best feeling…_

"What were you thinking?" Optimus demanded as he carried Talida to her room.

"I wasn't," Talida offered weakly.

"It's time you start thinking," Optimus proclaimed as he set her down on her bed, "You could have been killed out there. Do you understand?"

"I was going to end up out there eventually," Talida pointed out.

"Not at ten years old!" Optimus snapped, "And certainly not on my watch!"

"I wasn't hurt!" Talida reminded him.

"You could have been!" Optimus retorted, "Do you have any idea how scared I was?"

Talida had a good idea how scared her father was, remembering what had happened to Megatron when Optimus found them.

"I'm not gonna stay innocent and sheltered forever," Talida told him, "Someday, I'm gonna be fighting the war alongside you. Hell. I might actually end it."

And there she went. Reminding him of things that he knew would never last forever but wished they would anyway.

_This innocence is brilliant.  
__I hope that it will stay.  
__This moment is perfect.  
__Please don't go away.  
__I need you now…  
__And I'll hold on to it.  
__Don't you let it pass you by…_

Four years later, a nightmare became reality. Arcee and Talida were attacked on patrol. Arcee got out fine with a few scraps and bruises and a head injury that would leave her confined to base for several days. But Talida hadn't.

She had been captured.

He remembered not being able to sleep during the two weeks she was missing. Every waking moment was spent exhausting all methods to find his little girl. Every waking moment was spent desperately finding ways to bring her home. Many times, they came close. And many times, chances slipped away from them. But eventually, they found her. They found a way aboard the Nemesis.

They found a way to save her.

It led to Optimus sitting in the med bay on the berth next to his daughter's bed. Ratchet was surprised to find not a single broken bone in the list of her injuries. Not even a minute hairline fracture was found anywhere on her teenage body. Her injuries mainly consisted of deep cuts, bruised ribs and internal bleeding. Those were the physical injuries that anyone was able to find on her. However…the mental injuries were still unaccounted for due to Talida being unconscious.

Moving a stray strand of hair out of her face, he released a long, heavy sigh. Physically, she would be fine. Mentally, there was no telling. But her innocence?

He didn't know how much of it was left.

_It's a state of bliss! You think you're dreaming!  
__It's the happiness inside that you're feeling!  
__It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry…_

Two years later, Jack, Miko and Raf unwittingly joined the Autobot cause. Naturally, everyone didn't know whether to be happy at the prospect of new allies or saddened at the prospect of having to take on more responsibilities. Soon, they had accustomed to life in the base and helped out when they could.

Then came the day that nobody wanted to occur. Jack and Talida finding danger. That they knew would happen eventually. But they didn't expect Airachnid. Optimus shuddered in fear as he recalled coming to Arcee's, Jack's and Talida's rescue in the forest when Arcee was trapped in the strong, sticky webs trapped in her traumatic memories and Airachnid chased Jack and Talida through the forest like she was a hungry predator chasing after its prey.

Oh wait. She was a hungry predator and Jack and Talida were her prey.

Glancing at the recreation area, he saw Jack and Talida with Miko and Raf. Despite not showing it, he knew that they were still severely traumatized.

Another stab to his daughter's innocent.

_It's a state of bliss! You think you're dreaming!  
__It's the happiness inside that you're feeling!  
__It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry…_

Several months later, another deep blow was sustained to the Autobots. However, this was different. Optimus Prime reverted back to Orion Pax. Memories of his family had disappeared with the sacred Matrix of Leadership. Everyone prayed that he still felt something and would return with them. However, he didn't. Instead, he took one look at them and left with Megatron. Leaving behind a pregnant spark mate and a daughter to step up in his place.

Talida looked at herself in the mirror just hours after returning without Optimus. She tried desperately to see if there was even a shred of her innocence left in her. However, she knew there wasn't.

Her father had tried so hard to maintain her innocence – even after she joined the war.

When he left, he took everything they had with him.

Including her innocence.

_It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry…  
__(This innocence is brilliant…)  
__Makes you wanna cry…  
__(This innocence is brilliance…)  
__Please don't go away!  
_'_Cause I need you now…  
__And I'll hold on to it!  
__Don't you let it pass you by…_

When Talida woke up after Ratchet's hard work to save her life, she felt the rush of happiness that she hadn't felt since a few days before her father had left them. Glancing around, she saw she wasn't on Cybertron or in the Decepticon mind. Instead, she was home in the confines of the med bay on Ratchet's instructions. She didn't care about the broken wrist that would be protected by an itchy cast. She didn't care about the internal bleeding she had sustained from many fights. She didn't care about the collapsed lung that left her more crippled than before. All she cared about was seeing Optimus sit next to her cradling his newborn son.

Allowing a small smile to creep upon her face, she thought about the new revelations.

Her father was back home where he belonged.

Her innocence had never left her like she thought.

And now, she had a new innocence she to protect.

And that was her little brother's innocence.

_This innocence is brilliant!  
__(It's so beautiful! It's so beautiful!)  
__I hope that it will stay!  
__This moment is perfect!  
__Please don't go away!  
_'_Cause I need you now…  
__(It makes me wanna cry…)  
__And I'll hold on to it!  
__Don't you let it pass you by…_

It was as Arthur Miller once said,

"Where choice begins, Paradise ends, innocence ends, for what is Paradise but the absence of any need to choose this action?"

* * *

**OK. This was an extremely hard chapter for me to right. That's a hard song to write to. And I've been listening to Dead by Sunrise instead of the actual song. :/**

**Also, I am PISSED. For the fourth time in my writing career here, my story has been stolen. I've had one incident with **_**Strange Beginnings**_** that has been rectified as well as two previous incidents with **_**Talida Prime: Rising Darkness**_**. Well…for the THIRD time, someone has stolen my idea for **_**Talida Prime: Rising Darkness**_**.**

**I found this out when a friend of mine – who will not be named – had sent me a private message alerting me of this transgression. Naturally, I read the story before I went crazy. What really pissed me off is that it looks like it's a simple copy-and-paste job. I knew this because the writing style was exactly the same and I saw Talida's name mentioned a few times in there. Two others and myself had left reviews telling her that her story is clearly plagiarism and that he/she had to take the story down. So far, we have heard nothing. There could be a few reasons behind that.**

**He/she hasn't seen the reviews. (Time difference is a reasonable excuse. I mean…I do live in Australia.)  
****He/she honestly doesn't care that she's stealing my story.**

**I know that the author is reading this since I'm probably sure that if he/she hadn't been caught, he/she would've done this to my entire series. So I am asking you to do this. This is based on the third reviewer's suggestions.**

**Learn the fanfiction truths.  
****Take down the story.  
****Send me a sincere apology.  
****Google "intellectual property".**

**I'll actually save you the trouble for the last one.**

**Intellectual property is defined as "a work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a manuscript or a design, to which one has rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright, trademark, etc". (Primus, I hope that's what that reviewer had in mind when she mentioned the "intellectual property" bit.)**

**I apologize to everyone else reading this if I come across as a bit of a bitch. But I am so upset about the fact that three times in 18 months, my story had been plagiarized. **

**I would also like to send a special shout out to the two authors who left those reviews on her story. I really appreciate it, guys. If there's any way I can ever repay you, feel free to let me know. I owe you guys a lot. Hey. To start with, I'll dedicate this chapter and the next one to you.**

**Speaking of the next chapter, the next song is **_**Chasing Cars**_** by Snow Patrol. It's a pretty amazing song. Hmmmm…I'm thinking of going WAY back in time with that one. Like…when Rayna was alive. Maybe I should do a chapter dedicated to Bulkhead and Rayna's love story. I've been meaning to touch on that.**

**OK. You guys know what to do by now. Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever. DO NOT PLAGERISE MY STORIES! Sorry about that last note. I really don't want it to happen for a fifth time.**

**BYE!**

**Oh. Here's that second thought I had when I found out.**

**WHY ME?!**


	31. Chasing Cars

**For those of you that are interested in what's going on with my plagiarism situation with **_**Talida Prime: Rising Darkness**_**, the story's been taken down. But I'm still to hear anything from the author about acknowledging what she had done. Because I would SERIOUSLY like an apology. Other times, I shrugged it off. But since she actually just copied and pasted my chapter, I'm NOT HAPPY!**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Awesomo3000: **_**Don't worry, I've reviewed this b*stard's story and told him to take it down, along with reported him. I won't let some thiefing d*ckhead steal such an awesome story from you!**_

_**Aside from that, brilliant chapter! You wrote the emotions of Optimus and Talida very well! :) Update when you can!**_

**I'll try to. But my exams start next week then it's the athletics carnival. I'm gonna be a busy bee. But since I'm sick right now…**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOM CHAPTER! Innocence can never truly be gone. As long as we're still here, we still have it, even if its just a little bit.**_

**That's true.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**Someone stole it?! GGGGRRRRRRRRRR! That is not right! I'm not reading or reviewing the stolen stories. I'm sorry that happened.**_

_**On another note, this chapter is pretty sweet. Optimus reminds me of my daddy when he went all protective. I loved this. Please update!**_

**Who doesn't love seeing Optimus as a father?**

**tfp-fan: (1) **_**Such a beautiful, well-written chapter… :) And don't worry, I'll get this *sshole to take his/her story down if it's the last thing I do!  
**_

**They took it down.**

**(2) **_**Oh, and quick question: If Malita gets captured and interrogated by Starscream with Wheeljack, will Starscream still be angry at her for: A, leaving him for Knock Out. And B, her and Airachnid humiliating him in Partners?**_

_**Cos II don't think he'll have COMPLETELY gotten over that. It could go something like this:**_

"_**SS: This is for leaving me for that narcissistic preening egomaniac, Knock Out! ***__**scratches her with one claw, making her wince**__*** And THIS is for you and that eight-legged wretch Airachnid humiliating me! ***__**scratches her harder, making her scream**__*****_

**That could work.**

**Galem: (1) **_**That's okay. I'm worse when it comes to my ideas.**_

_**As for the chapter, I loved it. It was cool to see the subject of innocence for both Optimus and Talida's point of view.**_

**I've been meaning to do something like that for a while.**

**(2) **_**Okay, maybe I should elaborate on that last post. I mean, I am fiercely protective of my own ideas, so when you mention your stories were stolen, my anger skyrocketed.**_

_**You know that the moral of your chapter can apply for this situation too. That someone is trying to steal the innocence of your story. And I won't allow that. :growls:**_

**I appreciate that.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Is it truly amazing how you've completely captured the emotions of a Father caring for his Daughter. I don't know what's gonna happen in Talida's mind during Fading Suns…**_

**It'll be pretty much like **_**Fading Light**_** in a way.**

**Megatronus117: **_**THAT'S MY FUTURE AS MEGATRON!? plz update soon and ask ronhide what he do to bulkhead if bulkhead ran into him**_

**Wha?**

**Anon guy: **_**Wow, and here I was about to ask how you felt about people copying your stories. Guess your authors notes answered that. You think they could at least write their own versions instead of copying and pasting yours and changing things a bit.**_

**Yeah. You'd think they would.**

**Shadow Katakura: **_**Dang people really enjoy stealing your stories? And I checked out the story you were talking about and if they were trying to remain discreet, they were NOT doing a very good job. I might not know exactly how you feel since one of my stories has never been stolen (That's a warning for everyone out there!) but I feel you Ice. I really do.**_

_**On a happier note, I loved how you captured Optimus' and Talida's feelings in this chapter! Good work!**_

**Thanks! And I hope it never happens to you.**

**Guest: **_**How long until you post the next Talida Prime story?**_

**I'll start working on it as soon as I finish this one.**

**haloangel21: **_**It's her fault for making the story like your own. Don't blame yourself.**_

**Yeah. I'm just wondering why people keep doing it. Plus side: they took it down. But I'm still waiting for an apology.**

**lancepm: **_**I have a favorite saying and it goes like this: yesterday maybe gone, but tomorrow will always be there waiting for you to come into the light of a new day.**_

**For some strange reason, I thought you were gonna quote **_**Shattered**_** by Trading Yesterday.**

**sadnews4me: (1) **_**suicide is not a dish that should be serve, but thrown away with the help others to guide you.**_

**What brought this on?**

**(2) **_**heard about the newtown massacre.**_

**Who hasn't? And seriously. What brought this on?**

**ShimmeringWaters: **_**OK…I thought that WAS great that you wrote the reviews! But I talked to the girl and she said her and her sister own the account and her sister did that…so...It wasn't really her fault cause it wasn't her idea. Her sister just wanted to write her story about herself. She said her sister was like…10! She should really know about Intellectual property! I kind of feel bad for her though too, cause we all thought it was her…and if I was in her state…I would be really hurt about the review someone put of her that said she was all those nasty things. I'm not trying to take sides…just trying to recover from my own Cyber bullying…and that kind of sounded like it.**_

**Well, I'm sorry if I came across in a way that sounded mean. I was just mad. I mean, how would you feel if someone decided to copy-and-paste your story? …Hey. Do you know who left reviews on the story outside of myself? I wanna know what they said.**

**Jestorm'sGirl: **_**Wow, Ice I can't even explain how awesome the stories are. Honestly, there way far better then my versions. I love how Talida wants to protect Cayden's innocence. Anyway thanks a bunch and please update soon!**_

_**And I'm sorry someone has been plagiarizing your stories. :( Things like that have happened to me before. Yep it sucks.**_

**Well, I hope the author learns to not do that again.**

**yorkmaniac89: **_**whoa… that's tense**_

**Really?**

**stopmotiontk421: (from chapter 29) **_**Well that was good, I think my favorite part was when he was holding her in his lap. What a sweet moment._**_

**Well, nothing can destroy a father/daughter bond.**

**(from last chapter) **_**Good story about the hole father and daughter stories. And sorry about your stories you've already written, that's not right. Gosh I'd be ticked of too, and sorry about my review on : Darkest Hour. I lefted out some words.**_

**That's fine. That happens to me all the time whenever I leave a review.**

**Hey. This might sound a bit strange. But does anyone who left a review on the plagiarized story remember what they said before it was taken down? I'm just curious. That's all.**

**OK. Now we can get onto the good stuff.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida Prime and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Chasing Cars**_** rightfully belongs to Snow Patrol and Interscope Records.**

**This one's gonna be so romantic! I'm only wishing that I did this sooner.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

There were so many quotes that Bulkhead had filed in his processor. Among them was a quote from Helen Keller that Talida had told him about that went, 'The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, not touched. But are felt in the heart.' That was a quote that hit a little too close to home for him.

Because it reminded him of something he had lost.

_We'll do it all…  
__Everything…  
__On our own…_

He remembered the day he had met her. It was a year after the war broke out. Rayna had been captured by Decepticon forces and the newly-formed Wreckers were chosen for the rescue mission due to her being held in the heart of Kaon.

Once they reached the stronghold, everyone had divided to search the place. Naturally, Bulkhead and Wheeljack were partnered up for the search-and-rescue. Bulkhead was glad to be with his friend as he feared for his mental well-being. Before leaving, Wheeljack had found out that Rayna was his older sister. Making him more desperate than ever to rescue her.

They found her chained to the ceiling with her feet dangling above the floor. Enerblood, sweat and dirt staining her beautiful purple, blue and green dress. Long black hair framing her dirt-covered face, accenting her striking blue eyes. Shaky breaths left her form as she looked up at her saviors, showing her exhaustion.

"I knew you'd come," she panted with a smile.

"Don't worry, Princess. We'll soon have you out of here," Bulkhead promised as he went to undo her chains.

"You're the Wreckers, aren't you?" Rayna guessed.

"We sure are, Your Highness. The best the Autobots have got," Wheeljack boasted.

Wheeljack froze when he heard Bulkhead murmur the familiar incantation. Slowly, as Wheeljack's jaw dropped, the familiar mark formed on her chest. Bulkhead glanced at the young princess with a smile on his face, earning one in return as Wheeljack muttered,

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Bulkhead found his soul mate.

Who just happened to be the Princess of Cybertron.

_We don't need…  
__Anything…  
__Or anyone…_

A few months after the rescue, he faced his most difficult challenge yet. No. Battling Decepticons wasn't on the agenda for once since the stupid war began. Rayna, on the other hand, was on the agenda. In fact, she made up the agenda.

Had he known that love was this hard, he wouldn't have given it another thought.

He had approached her in her chambers, using his holoform to approach her seated body due to his height possibly destroying her surviving safe haven. Kneeling before her, he grabbed her hand and said those six not-so-simple words,

"Will you enter courtship with me?"

He hated being so formal. After all, he was a Wrecker. He was meant to be blunt, jagged around the edges and not such a 'softie' as Wheeljack would say. However, entering a courtship with loyalty wasn't a matter to be taken lightly. And since Rayna was as high as loyalty went, he had to be as formal as he could.

"Yes," Rayna nodded as she hugged him tightly, savoring the sensation of his arms around her body, "I love you, Bulkhead."

"I love you, Rayna," Bulkhead smiled happily.

The two of them shared their first kiss that day. It was soft. It was tender. Everything they had dreamed it would be. But it was also too short for them. When they pulled apart to breathe, they resumed what they had started. However, this time, the kiss was filled with passion, love and a bit of lust.

Peppering scorching, open-mouthed kisses on her neck, enjoying the intriguing sounds escaping her lips, he stumbled to the bed with his princess in his arms. He threw her onto the bed and began pushing the material of her short tight lace black dress off her body, his mouth already meeting the warm silky sensitive skin of her inner thigh as he did.

The Princess and the Wrecker weren't seen for the rest of the day.

_If I lay here…  
__If I just lay here…  
__Would you lie with me  
__And just forget the world…_

The war rarely allowed the couple to have even the smallest moment alone. Whenever they did, they always made the most of it and cherished every minute. They would do grand things such as visiting some of the most romantic places on Cybertron that hadn't been affected by the ongoing Autobot/Decepticon conflict. But most of the time, they liked to do something simple such as stargazing.

This was how they found themselves most of the time whenever they met up. Lying on Bulkhead's front bonnet on the roof of the royal residence gazing at the beautiful stars that would twinkle in happiness, unharmed by the horrors of war. Rayna would lie on top of Bulkhead's holoform as he held her against him tightly. Occasionally, the couple would do more than simple stargazing on the roof. Sometimes, they would talk. They would kiss. They would make love; an activity Bulkhead enjoyed and certainly benefited from.

"If I wanted to just lay here like this, would you lie with me and just forget everything?" Bulkhead asked.

With a small smile, Rayna shifted herself so her breasts pressed against Bulkhead's broad chest, her body molded to fit the shapes of his holoform. Bulkhead stifled a groan, as he desired nothing more than to rip the beautiful, seemingly flowing blue dress off her body and to have his way with her.

"In a spark beat," Rayna murmured.

Satisfied with the answer, Bulkhead settled his hands on her lower back as he kissed her tenderly.

_I don't quite know…  
__How to say…  
__How I feel…._

He hated fighting with her. While they weren't common, they weren't rare. Sometimes, it would simply be because the stress of the war was getting to them. Other times, it would be because of matters that they considered being serious. Such as Rayna charging into the battles with little regard for her own safety. Bulkhead had to witness a Decepticon come close to killing her gruesomely. Something that he wouldn't be able to handle hadn't he been able to prevent it.

It led to them having a screaming match in the centre of her chambers, standing not far from the end of the king-sized bed that they spent most of their nights in.

"You can't keep doing this, Rayna!" Bulkhead snapped.

"It's better than sitting by and doing nothing!" Rayna retorted.

"Well, I'd rather you sit by and do nothing rather than risk your own life!" Bulkhead shot back.

"It's my war too, Bulkhead! Not just your own! You can't protect me all the time!" Rayna stated.

"I can try," Bulkhead growled as he took a menacing step forward before saying the three words that he, despite them being soul mates, found impossible to say to her,

"I love you."

It started a chain reaction between them. Those three words were sprouted multiple times as they cemented their love.

_Those three words…  
__Are said too much…  
__They're not enough…_

The war is progressing longer than any of the Autobots ever wanted it to. Optimus, Bulkhead and Rayna were the most disappointed among them. Optimus because the last thing he wanted was to endanger innocent lives. Bulkhead because all he desires was a normal life and to finally settle down. Rayna because the war was draining everyone's strengths and she was tired.

Bulkhead had noticed that as time went on, Rayna was slowly becoming ill. Sometimes, she would feel tired and her breathing would be constricted. However, despite his, Optimus' and Ratchet's attempts, she wouldn't stop, rest and allow her body the time that it needed to recover from the strange illness. Nothing would stop her from going out fighting and helping the wounded. Whenever they told her to stop, she said she refused to ignore her duties, despite them arguing that she wouldn't be able to do them if she was severely unwell.

Bulkhead was walking into her chambers when he noticed how sick she was.

"Rayna!" Bulkhead gasped in horror, "You need to rest. You're getting worse!"

When he looked at her, he finally noticed how pale she had slowly become. Finally, he noticed how her skin was clammy and slick with cold, beaded sweat. How her breathing was wheezy, rapid, short; basically, it was more constricted.

"Rayna?" Bulkhead pressed worriedly.

"Bulkhead," Rayna wheezed.

Then she collapsed in his arms, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she slipped into the never-ending world of darkness.

"RAYNA!" Bulkhead roared in horror.

_If I lay here…  
__If I just lay here…  
__Would you lie with me  
__And just forget the world…_

Ratchet had raced into the room when he had heard Bulkhead's loud cries. Immediately, he ordered Rayna to be placed on the bed as he examined her. Optimus, Abelard, a heavily pregnant Ada, Ironhide and Wheeljack were quick to join them once they had learned what had happened to their beloved princess. Fortunately for them, the war was strangely quiet for the time being.

"I know what is happening," Ratchet said gravely after he finished his examination.

"What is it?" Bulkhead demanded worriedly.

"I have noted about how Rayna has been growing sicker the weaker the core becomes as the Decepticons poisoned the planet with war and Dark Energon. Legend has foretold that the planet's core is comprised of Primus' spark. And…Rayna was born when the Thirteen cast out Unicron during their dispute. So naturally, she is bound to the core and will live as long as the core lives," Ratchet began.

"Spit it out, Ratchet!" Ada snapped impatiently.

Not wanting to delay the truth any longer – and fearing Ada's mood swings – Ratchet finally told them,

"The core is dying. The war and Dark Energon is slowly destroying the planet. And since Rayna is bound to the core, she is slowly dying with it."

Bulkhead was sure that his world had shattered all around him.

_Forget what we're told…  
__Before we get too old…  
__Show me a garden  
__That's bursting into life…_

Despite everyone's protests, Bulkhead refused to leave the love of his life. Everything Ratchet told him to do, he would do without a moment's hesitation. Covering her with layers upon layers of blankets to provide her body with heat. Helping her calm her rapid breathing whenever she suffered an anxiety attack. Bathing her with medicinal oils to ease her muscles and cleanse the sweat off her.

But none of that helped. She was still getting sick. She was still leaving him.

And he hated it.

Optimus stepped forward, saying he would take her to the core at her requests. Bulkhead was reluctant to let Rayna go, fearing he would never see her again. Then Optimus said that this trip could help heal her rather than harm her. Reluctantly, Bulkhead let her go.

She came back to him. Stronger, happier, more beautiful than she was before.

Two mechs were crying of joy that day.

Optimus because he found his own soul mate in the form of Abelard and Ada's newborn daughter.

Bulkhead because he had his soul mate back and he wouldn't let her go anytime soon.

_Let's waste time…  
__Chasing cars…  
__Around our heads…_

They fought together in the war after Bulkhead had left the Wreckers behind. That choice was decided after Rayna's significantly close brush with death. Wheeljack didn't like the fact that Bulkhead was leaving that life behind. However, when Bulkhead had explained that he wanted to be close to Rayna after what happened, he couldn't help but understand and respect his decision. After all, if he had a soul mate, he would do the same (not that he'd admit it).

Bulkhead smiled as Rayna held her own against a dozen Vehicons crowding her. When she had defeated them with ease with her Energy Sword, he cackled and crowed,

"That's my girl!"

And he meant it. Because Rayna was his girl.

And no one else could have her.

_I need your grace…  
__To remind me…  
__To find my own…_

The day that the Autobots were dreading has finally come. The day of the exodus. Optimus and Alpha Trion had drafted this plan as some sort of 'final solution'. Then Iacon fell and they realized that they had no choice but to order the exodus.

Rayna had dedicated most of her time to dividing their supplies and forming the teams that would divide after the Arc had reached the specific location in space. Unfortunately for Bulkhead, she would ignore her slowly declining health. Noticing that she was developing the same symptoms as before, he watched her. Fearing that what had happened last time would be happening all over again.

"You have to come with us," Bulkhead pleaded.

"I can't, Bulkhead," Rayna wheezed as she lay in his arms.

"Yes you can. We'll get you better. You won't die, Rayna. I won't allow it. You…you have to bond with me," Bulkhead choked on his sobs.

At the moment, it was just the two of them in front of the royal residence. Bulkhead had been helping Rayna with the evacuations when she collapsed. Everyone raced off to find Ratchet. But he knew that he would be too late.

Rayna was dying. And he couldn't stop it.

"Ten years after you arrive on Earth, Optimus Prime will help an ally bare a child. A daughter who will become my incarnate and rule Cybertron upon war's end. You need to protect her with your life, Bulkhead. She will be all that is left of me. She is the Autobot's only hope," Rayna whispered.

"You can't die, Rayna!" Bulkhead snapped.

"Being kidnapped by the Decepticons was the best day of my life, Bulkhead. Because I finally found my soul mate. I am grateful for the time I had with you. Please don't let this time go to waste. Promise me you will protect that child," Rayna murmured.

"Rayna," Bulkhead whimpered.

"Promise me," Rayna pleaded, her eyes beginning to droop.

"I promise," Bulkhead finally swore as he kissed her for the last time, "I love you."

"I love you…," Rayna gasped.

Her body went cold and limp in his arms and Bulkhead cried against her chest. Nobody could pry him away from her lifeless body. Not even Optimus could. Ratchet had to basically knock the former Wrecker out to take her away.

That sight alone broke their hearts.

_If I lay here…  
__If I just lay here…  
__Would you lie with me  
__And just forget the world…_

In the ship, Bulkhead couldn't stop crying. He sat on his bunker sobbing over her. Against his chest, he clutched something he had been meaning to give her. Something that would allow them to take a step forward in their relationship. The object was a simple silver band with a small diamond resting on top of it. Something he had been planning to do for some time was bond with her. Something he was hated himself over was waiting too long to do it.

"I'm so sorry, Rayna," Bulkhead whimpered.

He would never stop blaming himself for her death.

_Forget what we're told…  
__Before we get too old…  
__Show me a garden  
__That's bursting into life…_

Part of Rayna's dying prophecy had come true after they arrived on Earth. Optimus helped Dr. Rosalie Coleman bare a child. And it was a baby girl. Bumblebee had found his soul mate in her, so he named the young child. Immediately, he had chosen the name Talida Corrie Prime.

Bulkhead held back sobs when he was finally able to hold her in his arms. Already, he was beginning to fall under the spell the newborn was casting. Despite being a few minutes old, she was already reminding him of Rayna. Staring at him with those wide electric blue eyes filled with innocence and love.

Optimus naming him her godfather made things even better.

_All that I am…  
__All that I ever was…  
__Is here in your perfect eyes.  
__They're all I can see…_

"Bulkie!" Talida squealed joyfully.

Bulkhead laughed out loud in joy as he cupped the four-year-old into his hand. Since her birth, the two of them have forged a strong relationship, a relationship that closely resembled the father/daughter bond Optimus and Talida share. Something that Bulkhead always hoped for was to have a family of his own. Those hopes and dreams disappeared when Rayna died during the exodus. Talida would be the closest thing he would ever have to a daughter.

"Hey, sprout!" Bulkhead greeted happily.

"Are you ever gonna stop calling me that?" Talida inquired.

"Not even when you're old and grey and we're rusting away!" Bulkhead answered, smiling at their private joke.

Talida smiled and tried to hug him, so Bulkhead lifted her closer to his face. Every time she hugged him, he always savored the moment.

This was no exception.

_I don't know where…  
__Confused about how as well…  
__Just know that these things will never  
__Change for us at all…_

Many years later, they finally succeeded. The Autobots finally won the war. Megatron's surprising unconditional surrender brought the end to suffering. Optimus was able to reconcile with his older brother and finally make peace. With the restoration of the Omega Lock, Cybertron was finally revived and everyone that left the planet after the war and was still alive was able to go home.

Talida stood on the balcony outside her chambers gazing out at her new home. As prophesized, she became Queen of Cybertron and left her old life behind. Naturally, all her friends and family came with her to help her rule the planet.

"You like it here?"

"Well, it's no Earth. But I can get used to this," Talida shrugged as Bulkhead approached her.

"Cybertron does have its perks," Bulkhead stated, noticing the way Talida would absentmindedly rub her swollen stomach of five months.

"You still miss her," Talida observed.

There was no denying that the pain of losing Rayna never lessened over time. The pain of losing the love of his life only grew worse the further time went by. But Bulkhead also found that there was something that calmed

"You never move on from losing your other half, Talida. The pain never dies. Actually, the pain only grows the longer the two halves are separated," Bulkhead explained, "But unlike everyone else, I had something to help me through it. That's you."

"I'm glad I could help," Talida smiled.

The two shared a hug then. He couldn't hold her too close because of her belly. But for them, it was close enough. They stood overlooking the revived Cybertron. Unwittingly, Bulkhead's mind flashbacked to a happy memory before the exodus. When he and Rayna had just begun their relationship.

"_**If I wanted to just lie here like this, would you lie with me and just forget everything?**_"

"_**In a spark beat.**_"

_If I lay here…  
__If I just lay here…  
__Would you lie with me  
__And just forget the world…_

* * *

**That was a fun chapter to write. I've been sick the entire time I wrote this. So this might sound strange because whenever I'm sick, I never think straight. But it's the only time I have where I can write and get away with it.**

_**Apologize**_** by OneRepublic is the next song in my little song-fic list. Hey. Actually, next song-fic chapter will be the second-last chapter in the story. It's coming by so fast! Soon, I'll be up to **_**Fading Suns**_**. That'll be done by year's end. Then…**_**RISING SEAS**_**! After that, that's it. The series will be over.**

**Oh! Something I forgot to tell you. **_**Fading Suns**_** will be delayed with posting. Because once this story is over, my focus' gonna shift to **_**Strange Beginnings**_**. Not long ago, I decided to delay that story to focus on finishing this one. Now that this story's almost finished, I can focus on **_**Strange Beginnings**_**. That story's gonna end after…well, you'll have to wait and see on that one.**

**BYE!**


	32. Apologize

**Wassup, everybody?!  
**

**REVIEW REPLIES!  
**

**AlphaTrion3145: ****Yeah. They did. And NO! I'm not writing a smut!**

**RoseBlade Vortex: ****A mento-whatsit?**

**Jetstorm'sGirl: (1) I knew I had recognized you from somewhere!**

**(2) Now that's dedication! Don't worry. I'm on the mend.**

**(3)****Knock yourself out.**

**(4) OK.**

**Bee4ever: It's been a while since I wrote a bittersweet chapter.**

**Awesomo3000:****Yeah. Same here.**

**devildog452:****You go down to the bottom of the page on one of my stories, click on the Follow/Favourite button, tick the Writer option under the follow list and click save.**

**kayleesullivan2000: That's actually what I was planning to do this chapter.**

**Shadow Katakura: Yeah. You just quoted Bieber.**

**WinterSnow13: It's winter over here for me.**

**storygirl99210:****Amen, amen.**

**Guest: I pretty much went with how I felt when my Grandpa died last year. In a way, that chapter was dedicated to him. Love you, Grandpa!**

**Luna Uchiha666: I'll have it up soon. But as I'm typing this author's note, I'm entering exam block. So I'll be spending more time studying than writing…at least, that's what my mum thinks. ;)**

**Ninjabot01: I feel a lot better.**

**haloangel21: I'm still to hear anything from her.**

**prophecy12:****Eh?**

**Stopmotiontk421:****Love and Forever's not finished. I've had severe writer's block on that. There's only this chapter and next chapter to go until it's finished. However, I won't start **_**Fading Suns**_** until **_**Strange Beginnings**_** is finished.**

**VectorSigma101: ****Well, Bulkhead hasn't really had an episode that focused on him. So I decided to give him a whole chapter.**

**Anon entity: Plus One was pretty amusing. Thirst freaked me out. And…ARE THEY INSANE?! They brought Airachnid back! Hopefully, this time, they kill her FOR GOOD!**

**CybertronsLegacyMystic:****I'll be sure to read it.**

**Guest: Doy.**

**loyalreader:****Hey. That's not nice.**

**blake beacham:*********blushes*******

**unknown: What?**

**The naming competition has officially closed! At the end of this chapter, I'm gonna go through all the names, notify the winner and then announce it on here.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Apologize**_** rightfully belongs to OneRepublic and Interscope Records.**

**ENJOY!**

**WARNING! This chapter will feature themes that I'm sure would make everyone else comfortable. Domestic violence, incest and sexual references. Read on at your own risk. If this makes you uncomfortable, skip this chapter. Trust me when I say you won't be missing out on anything.**

**SECOND WARNING! Megatron will be extremely out of character in this chapter.**

* * *

_I'm holdin' on your rope.  
__Got me ten feet off the ground…  
__And I'm hearing what you say.  
__But I can't just make a sound…  
__Yeah…_

He remembered being on this strange new world for only a few weeks when it happened. Seeking after making his own mark on the world, he struck a small town that almost resembled Jasper, Nevada.

A young woman who was strong, clever and beautiful had claimed his interest. The only catch was a man she loved dearly already took her away from him. And she didn't plan on leaving him anytime soon. Especially for someone like Megatron, who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone; even his own family as shown with his parents. So he had to wait. He wasn't going to stop until he had her.

Whatever it took, he had to have that woman.

_You tell me that you need me.  
__Then you go and cut me down…  
__But wait…_

He waited until the darkness of night rolled over the small dreary town. The young woman was just finishing her shift at the local hospital and always walked home to her husband who was possibly waiting to ravish her as his own. Something inside Megatron had growled at the thought as lust clouded him once more.

She didn't expect it. She didn't expect to be captured right off the street by him. Despite how hard she tried to fight his grasp, he refused to let her escape him. Just as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared from the town with his prize.

Her name was Dr. Rosalie Coleman.

_You tell me that you're sorry.  
__Didn't think I'd turn around…  
__And say…_

He kept her aboard the Nemesis for ten months. Giving her the necessities she needed to be kept alive. Every night, he brutally claimed her as his own, manipulating her until she became completely dependent on him and developed something that humans called 'Stockholm Syndrome'.

One month into her capture, she had fallen pregnant.

At that, the Decepticons became more desperate than they were before to keep their latest captive alive until Megatron decided he was done with her. After all, an heir was precious to them. It meant having someone who could assume command if Megatron found himself unable to as time went on.

They hoped for a son.

Instead, they ended up with a baby girl named Malita wrapped up in a blood red bundle.

_That it's too late to apologize…  
__It's too late…  
__I said it's too late to apologize…  
__It's too late…  
__Too late…  
__Oh-oh…_

Megatron eventually let her return to her town and that cursed husband of her. No matter how much it pained him too. He left her where they took her as if nothing had happened. But he still discretely watched over her with the help from Soundwave. He had learned that she eventually moved and he lost her there.

He lied to his daughter. When she was one, she began asking for her mother. He would lie to her and say,

"Mummy is one with the AllSpark."

Many Decepticons were scared of the mood swings he would have concerning her. One minute, he would be fuming over the Decepticons' most recent failure. However, when she walked into the room, he transformed into a loving father.

One day, she was racing through the Nemesis at the tender age of two. Clutching her bear to her chest, she raced through the halls searching for her father.

At last, she found him. He was briefing the Decepticons for their latest mission. He froze when he noticed her presence.

"The nightmare again?" Megatron guessed, earning a weak nod from Malita, "Excuse me, Soundwave. I have an important matter to deal with.

They never understood, even to this day, how she managed to have him carry her to her berth every night.

_I'd take another chance. Take a fall.  
__Take a shot for you… Oh-oh-oh…  
__And I need you like a heart needs a beat.  
__But it's nothing new… Yeah, yeah…_

At six, she fully began to understand the real horrors of the war he started. Malita hadn't meant to stumble in on the battle review Megatron conducted. Gasping in horror, she saw her father's enemy – her uncle – murder some of the Vehicons she had formed strong friendships with. It was when Megatron noticed her.

When his optics laid on her, they held an interesting mixture. Anger. Sorrow.

Anger because he was still mad over the failed mission he was just reviewing.

Sorrow because he never wanted Malita to witness this just yet.

"Why do you hurt each other, daddy?" Malita asked innocently.

The answer would be one that stuck with her forever,

"Because they threaten my family. And no one threatens my family."

_I loved you with a fire red.  
__Now it's turning blue…  
__And you say…_

Megatron was rarely hurt. He had built such a stronghold around his spark. Nothing was able to penetrate it. Except for two women.

Rosalie and Malita.

He had finally managed to track Rosalie down after a decade of not knowing. However, he had discovered that he would never be able to see her again.

She had died six months ago following the birth of another child: a daughter. First, Megatron was confused. He was sure Rosalie would never be able to conceive because of how…_brutal_ he was in the process of Malita's conception. Upon his orders, Soundwave ran some background searches and found forms for a procedure that allowed her to artificially conceive with the help of two others: another female to provide the eggs. A male to provide something called sperm.

What angered him most was the fact that Optimus had somehow helped her.

And the woman who blessed him with Malita died giving birth to his niece.

"Father?"

"Go away," Megatron snarled.

"What is it?" Malita asked worriedly, "Is everything alright?"

"Go, Malita," Megatron growled.

"Is it that Rosalie woman?" Malita asked.

"I SAID GO, MALITA!" Megatron roared.

As soon as he saw the pain and hurt on his daughter's face, he began to regret it. He knew she didn't deserve to be the outlet for the immense pain he felt. But…he couldn't help it.

"Malita…," Megatron began, sounded genuinely sorry.

"Leave me alone," Malita spat before storming away.

How could he repair something he had broken?

_Sorry like the angel,  
__Heaven let me think was you…  
__But I'm afraid…_

Their relationship was mended. It took them time. But they mended the cracks in the broken mirror that represented their strong, yet damaged relationship. Now, thirteen years later, Megatron had to depart for an intergalactic mission. He didn't know how long he would be gone. But he knew that he would come back. He couldn't help but wonder this was how Optimus felt whenever he had to leave his daughter.

"Must you go, father?" Malita asked, slight frustration evident in her voice and on her face.

"You know I do," Megatron reminded her.

At 23 years old, she had fully grown into the body of an attractive young woman. She had slick jet-black hair with blood red eyes and always wore clothing that would draw attention to the sexy curves that made up her slim, but toned body. Today, she was wearing black shorts that were so short, they might as well be underwear, a black halter-neck top with a plunging neckline and black knee-high boots.

"But why? What is so important?" Malita demanded.

"You will see when I come back," Megatron promised, "You and Starscream are in charge until I return. And please. Ensure that Starscream does not fail."

"I hold no promises," Malita sighed.

Without another outward sign of fatherly affection, he left.

_It's too late to apologize…  
__It's too late…  
__I said it's too late to apologize…  
__It's too late…  
__Whoa, whoa…_

Upon his return, their relationship was turbulent to say the least. Filled with ups and downs. Hatred turning to love and love turning to hatred. The cycle repeated.

What broke them was Malita's declaration in the mine.

"_**You say that Talida has the makings of a Decepticon. Well, does that mean I have the makings of an Autobot?**_"

Megatron never looked at his daughter the same way after that fateful day. Especially after Jack succeeded in making his brother remember everything. When he returned after the failure of the battle, he sought after her immediately. He found her in her room appearing to be in the midst of changing her outfit. Megatron figured that out because she was wearing a black, tight, leather mini-skirt and she was in the process of changing into a black, leather, midriff-exposing strapless top. So her black lace strapless bra was visible.

"You dare to betray me?!" Megatron roared as he marched towards her in his holoform.

He slapped her across the face, causing her to gasp in pain and surprise and fall onto her cushioned berth. She dropped her shirt in the process. Megatron licked his lips as he began to crawl on top of her.

"What are you doing?" Malita whimpered.

She cringed and tried to move away as Megatron leaned down and licked up her throat before running his hands up her smooth skin as he sucked on her supple skin.

"Punishing you," Megatron growled.

Then he kissed her. Her screams of torment and pleas for him to stop were unheard to him.

Their relationship took a dark turn after that.

_It's too late to apologize…  
__It's too late…  
__I said it's too late to apologize…  
__It's too late…_

"Lord Megatron, I regret to inform you that not only is Malita no longer on this ship. She is no longer with us," Dreadwing sighed, "Her life signal just went offline."

"You did this. You're just as responsible as our enemies," Knock Out snarled, "First my dear friend. Then the love of my life. _Your daughter!_ When will it end?!"

Knock Out's words hit Megatron harder than the warlord was willing to let show. When he was alone, he wasn't afraid to let the full affects of the medic's words show.

He began crying. Something he never did.

"I'm so sorry, Malita," Megatron sobbed.

_I said it's too late to apologize…  
__Yeah…  
__(It's too late…)_

"Father?"

Megatron looked up and saw her. But he knew it was an illusion. He killed her. Malita was standing before him wearing a very revealing black lace dress. Her red eyes appeared to be blazing in anger.

"Malita," Megatron rasped, "I'm so…"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry," Malita spat, "For it's too late to apologize."

_I said it's too late to apologize…  
__Yeah…  
__(It's too late…)_

She disappeared from Megatron's vision just as quickly as she appeared. No goodbye. Nothing. She was just gone.

She left Megatron with her parting words.

Words that would haunt him forever. Not just because of the way she said them. Not just because of the fact that it came from the daughter he had killed.

But because of how right she was.

"_**Don't you dare say you're sorry; for it's too late to apologize…**_"

_I'm holding on your rope.  
__Got me ten feet off the ground…_

* * *

**I promise that next chapter will be better. But I had to contend with some of the worst writer's block that I've ever had to contend with for any story. Exams and the athletics carnival just made it worse.**

**But now…I'm on school holidays for three weeks! HOORAY! Wait a minute! I've got my OP predictions coming up. AW FUCK! …I really hope my mother didn't just hear me swear. She'll take away my Linkin Park albums if she hears me swearing (she thinks listening to them makes me swear).  
**

**And…I've got a few more story ideas for this archive that have been swimming around in my head for several months now. These three in particular. What do you guys think of these ideas and which one would you guys be more interested in seeing me write of the three I'm about to pitch? Also…check out the notice I have in particular for the first and last one. Help is needed in those areas.**

**About the pitch thing …I'm watching baseball. :D The Giants vs. the Braves. GO GIANTS!**

**Project Aeon:  
****(set around **_**Alpha Trion**_** to **_**Inside Job**_**) What if Smokescreen never found Talida? Project Aeon would be a success and Talida would never know her past. What would happen if Megatron succeeded in all stages of Project Aeon? Will she remember who she truly is and find her way back to the Autobots? Will the Autobots ever see the Talida they all knew and love again?  
****Pairings featured: Megatron/Talida, Knock Out/Malita (past mentioned), slight Optimus/Arcee, slight Jack/Miko, slight Bumblebee/Talida  
****Intended rating: M for very sexual themes (smut and incest).  
****Needs: a co-writer would be nice. Don't worry. I'll handle the smut scenes. I've always wanted to co-write this with someone. Any takers?**

**Tipping Scales:  
****(set during _Toxicity_ and _Hurt_) What if Talida went to the equator instead of New York during the second relic hunt? What would happen when Talida is exposed to the highly deadly ToxEn? What about Hardshell, who is chasing her down for said substance and to possibly harming her? Talida had always been lucky before. But is her luck up this time?  
****Pairings featured: Bumblebee/Talida, Jack/Miko, Optimus/Arcee, Bulkhead/Rayna (past mentioned), June/Fowler  
****Intended rating: T for violence**

**Ember of Flames:  
****(AU of **_**Strange Beginnings**_**) Optimus and Arcee didn't leave Talida on the Darby doorstep when she was two weeks old. Instead, she was left on the doorstep of another loving family in Jasper, Nevada. But when that family is killed in a house fire, Talida finds herself in the foster system. Trusting no one but Miko Nakadai, what happens when she discovers the existence of the Autobots? What happens when she finds herself falling for a certain black-haired teen?  
****Pairings featured: Jack/Talida, Optimus/Arcee  
****Intended rating: T…MAY go up to M pending on my moods  
****Needs: better title**

**About the Jack/Talida pairing in the last story…what? For the **_**Talida Prime**_** series and **_**Strange Beginnings**_**, Jack and Talida always had a brother/sister relationship. I wanted to try something different.**

**And…that's pretty much it from me. Again, sorry for the delay. I hope I'll do better next time.**

**Review. Fave. Alert. Whatever.**

**BYE!**


	33. Fix You

**It's…the last chapter… OK. OK. I must remain composed for the review replies at least.**

**REVIEW REPLIES!**

**Awesomo3000:** _**Megatron, you sick twisted…! Anyhoo, great chapter! Update whenever you can! :) As for the ideas, I really like the first and second idea!**_

**Thanks!**

**kayleesullivan2000:** _**For your poll who should be 4 weeks pregnant I think it should be Talida bc think about it it would be really funny for when optimus or bumblebee finds out and megatron would u know cause real drama so ya I mean already already had a child let Talida have one! (Beside raf ofcourse) another thing I need to ask u a favor could you please for the next story (fading light I think I tis) make Malita come back and megatron apologize or something like that! Thanks for listening!**_

**You're a little bit slow on a lot of things there, mate. That poll was done ages ago. Arcee's already pregnant. Malita's already made an appearance back. That's as far as I'm gonna go.**

**storygirl99210: **_**AWESOME CHAPTER! And I like the Ember of Flames idea! But instead of Ember of Flames, what about A Different Beginning?**_

**I actually like that title idea. Thank you!**

**Shadow Katakura: **_**Great chapter! And I can't believe I'm saying this but for once I didn't have a few choice words for Megsy! Oh and for those story ideas, Ember of Flames sounds the coolest! Update soon!  
**_

**I'll make sure to do that.**

**haloangel21: **_**If you ever need me to help you co-write a story, I'm here. I'm fine with whatever story you have in mind, I'd just like something that has mostly Optimus/Arcee in it.**_

_**Also, this chapter was quite surprising. I didn't know Malita's mother ended up being Rosalita. Definitely a twist filler.**_

**Maybe you and I could write the Ember of Flames (now A Different Beginning) one. That'll be FULL with Optimus/Arcee stuff. Besides…you're kinda better at the emotional drama stuff than me.**

**Jetstorm'sGirl: (1) **_**:o I knew it. I knew what Megatron was doing the whole time to Malita. Since Malita was one of my favorites, I want revenge. You in Ice? ***__**holds out a smaller version of Wheeljack's grenades**__*** Smaller, but just as powerful. I've got a couple. ***__**holds up another for me**__*** C'mon Ice, take it.**_

**I'll take them. But not for Megatron. So I could, one day, finally kill Airachnid.**

**(2) **_**And I finally got my account up an working again. You're the first person I favorited and followed, as well as your stories. :)**_

_**Plus, I'd like to help co-write your stories. :) It'd be an honor. Since I like your versions better then my own. Please? ***__**hands you cookies**__*** Psss, their your favorite.**_

**How do you know which cookies are my favourite?**

**ALL OUT TOMBOY: **_**For Ember of flames I vote yes on the story and how about A WindWalker's Path for its new title.**_

**I don't understand the WindWalker bit.**

**Stopmotiontk421: **_**I read your reply, so when your done with story. You'll finish Strange Beginnings and Love and Forever, right?**_

_**Strange Beginnings**_** will definitely be finished before I upload **_**Fading Suns**_**. **_**Love and Forever**_**…I'm not too sure about.**

**AlphaTrion3145: **_**Ember of Flames sounds good. Not many Jack/OC pairings around here.**_

_**RoseBlade: Also The Mento-Intensifier Ring is a Relic that ability to manipulate the mind of any Species, from simple Mind Reading, to Commanding to Brain to stop any or all body functions, leading to death… And that's just one of Ten Rings my Family possess.**_

**To RoseBlade, thanks for clearing that up. Just keep that away from me. To AlphaTrion3145, you're right about that. A lot of people support him more with Miko or Arcee. Also, I've been seeing a few with him and Smokescreen. Excuse me while I go shudder at the thought.**

**Guest: **_**Princess of Dreams**_

_**I feel terrible for Matilda. Very terrible. Please update.**_

**It's MALITA. And yeah. I feel sorry for her too. And I write this!**

**Bee4ever: **_**Wow, I almost feel sorry for Megatron…Almost!  
**_

**Same here.**

**Lesly21: **_**Icegirl2772… I would've honored to be your co-writer! By the way your chapters are awesome!**_

**I'll think about it. Let me get back to you on it.**

**Ninjabot01: **_**that was gd finally after so long finally found out where Malita came from though I had a suspicion that Talida was her half sister. Who knew. As for the pitch all sound good cant decide.**_

**I'm gonna have to explain the whole family tree to you.**

**Rosalie couldn't produce the eggs anymore because of the way she and Megatron conceived Malita. But she could still carry children. She just needed two people to provide the eggs and the sperm. Since her husband died, Optimus and June helped her out. Optimus and Megatron are brothers. Talida and Malita are COUSINS. Not half-siblings. That's Jack and Talida. …wow. I've made one complicated family tree.**

**blake beacham: (1) **_**Yeah I didn't mean to make ya blush but I naturally have that effect on women.**_

**lol**

**(2) **_**ON a serious note could you explain to me again how the( edited) Talida is rafs mom? Please and no I didn't actually curse but my alter ego wanted me to put that**_

**At four years old, certain techno-organics have this stage where they are teenagers for a year. This happened with Talida, who turned 16 for a year. Arcee and Bumblebee hid her in a cabin in a forest in New York until the year ended. During that time, a serial rapist attacked them and forced Bumblebee to rape Talida at gunpoint. Then…Raf came along and they left him with another family when Talida reverted back to four years old.**

**Megatronus117: **_**On project Aeon ill be a taker**_

**I'll think about it.**

**Now…last chapter. *****sniffles***** There's a reason as to why I chose **_**Fix You**_** as the final song to appear in the story. For the reason, look at the lyrics. Simply look at the lyrics and you should be able to figure it out.**

_**Transformers: Prime**_** rightfully belongs to Hasbro and The Hub.**

**© Talida and other OCs rightfully belong to me unless I say otherwise.**

_**Fix You**_** rightfully belongs to Coldplay and Parlophone Records.**

**We're gonna go WAY back here. Jack and Talida are still traumatized after being stranded on Cybertron. Arcee had already snapped during a nightmare in the middle of the night. Despite everything, Talida hadn't fully broken down just yet. Jack…well, he's still to break.**

**This story has been fun to write. But now, it must come to an end. So…for the very last time in **_**Talida Prime: Rising Storms**_**, I shall say this in an opening author's note…**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Everyone breaks at some point. Even the strongest person someone would know. What is different each time is how the person breaks.

And what brings them to the breaking point.

_When you try your best, but you don't succeed…  
__When you get what you want. But not what you need…  
__When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep…  
__Stuck in reverse…_

Miko and Raf knew that something was different with Jack and Talida when they finally awoke from the injuries they had received. They didn't seem to be fully there. It seemed as though their minds kept retreating back to Cybertron. Neither knew what had happened during their time stranded on the dead planet. But they knew they would find out eventually.

They had to know.

_And the tears come streaming down your face…  
__When you lose something you can't replace…  
__When you love someone, but it goes to waste…  
__Could it be worse…_

Talida had decided to take Raf out to the desert to teach him tobogganing. She couldn't do much due to her wrist still being broken and her lungs still damaged. But she could teach him the basics of tobogganing without actually tobogganing.

"If you wanna go faster, you need to hold the top of the board higher. It's gonna take a lot of strength," Talida explained.

Raf knew she wasn't all there. He could see it in her eyes. She would get that distant look in her eyes. Particularly after a traumatizing experience like this one.

"Are you alright, mum?" Raf asked.

"Of course I am," Talida scoffed slightly, "Why do you ask?"

"You've got that distant look in your eyes," Raf observed.

"It's nothing, Raf. I'm fine," Talida shook her head furiously.

Raf knew better. He knew her well. Despite the short time he knew her, he knew better.

_Lights will guide… You home…  
__And ignite… Your bones…  
__And I will try…  
__To fix you…_

Miko, too, noticed how distance Jack had been since his return from Cybertron. Whenever they were together, he didn't seem to be fully with her. Physically, yes. But emotionally and mentally, they were two different stories altogether.

She fully noticed this when they were having some quiet time in her house. Her host parents had gone out shopping. So Jack was able to come over for a quiet date. They watched whatever movie came on Encore Drama; a channel they agreed on, not wanting to watch action or family for the time being.

"Jack, are you sure…?" Miko trailed off.

"I'm fine," Jack muttered.

She knew he wasn't.

_And high up above or down below…  
__When you're too in love to let it go…  
__But if you never try, you'll never know…  
__Just what you're worth…_

Talida trailed off as she gave Raf more lessons when it came to tobogganing. Glancing over the horizon, she appeared to be looking at the desert landscape. Well…at least to Raf, she was. But in her mind, she wasn't in the Nevada Desert. She was back on Cybertron. Overlooking somewhere called the Sea of Rust. Battle after battle. Casualty after casualty. Drops of Energon spilt on the floor.

She felt sobs rising up in her throat. She felt hot, fat tears burning her blue eyes. She felt as though her lungs were closing and that she was suffocating to death. Like a hand from within her was reaching towards her air pipe and squeezing it. Raf didn't fail to notice.

"Mum? Mum, are you alright?" Raf asked worriedly.

For Jack, it began when the movie _Defiance_ appeared in the vast channel lineup. Naturally, he knew what the movie was and knew what the storyline contained. The movie was based on a true story about the Bielski partisans, three Jewish brothers who saved and recruited Jews in Belarus during World War II after their parents were killed by the Nazis. The battle scenes were the worst.

He didn't see any of the Jewish brothers. Instead, he saw himself, Talida and Arcee as the warriors and the Insecticons as the Nazis that were trying to kill them.

"Jack?" Miko said worriedly when he noticed his breathing quicken suddenly, "Are you alright?

_Lights will guide… You home…  
__And ignite… Your bones…  
__And I will try…  
__To fix you…_

"Mum!" Raf called again, more desperate than before.

Her legs began to shake, no longer able to withstand the dead weight of her body. Talida's breathing got worse as the hot tears began to stream down her face.

Then…she fell. She began tumbling down the hill towards the bottom.

"MUM!" Raf screamed in horror as he began to follow her.

No one would ever be able to see him run so fast.

"Jack!" Miko cried in worry as Jack fell off the couch.

She was by his side in an instant. Watching in worry as he struggled to breathe. She noticed the tears streaming down his face. Tears from the weight on the chest. Tears from the inability to breathe.

Tears from the trauma.

_Tears stream… Down your face…  
__When you lose something you cannot replace…  
__Tears scream… Down your face…  
__And I…_

"MUM!" Raf cried as he finally reached her.

He raced towards her, running as fast as his abnormally short legs would be able to carry him, and ended up tripping when he was closer, sliding across the sand. When he reached her, he noticed that she was sobbing hysterically, unable to breathe. He immediately held her close, like he wished the family that raised him had done whenever he was upset as a child.

"It's OK, mum. It's OK," Raf murmured reassuringly as his mother cried into his chest.

Meanwhile, Miko was desperately trying to soothe Jack's severe anxiety. Cybertron had affected him more than he was willing to admit to her. Now…some mysterious force above them wasn't going to give him a choice. The anxiety attack he was currently having showed that.

"Jack. Jack, honey. It's OK. It's OK. Just breathe," Miko soothed as she held him close, allowing him to sob into her chest as she ran her fingers through his hair, "It's OK. Just breathe. Everything's alright. Just breathe…"

_Tears stream… Down your face…  
__I promise you I will learn from my mistakes…  
__Tears stream… Down your face…  
__And I…_

Miko and Raf attempted to calm the inconsolable Jack and Talida for hours. Hours later, they finally stopped, only because they had no more tears left to cry and their throats were aching from dehydration, the sobs and the screaming.

In the blistering sun, Talida had fallen asleep, exhausted from her sudden attack. Even if he had the strength to, Raf wouldn't be able to take them back to the base. Instead, they just stayed. Allowing themselves to be sunburnt when the sunscreen would wear off and the sweat to soak into their lightweight clothing.

Jack fell asleep against Miko's chest when the attack drained his strength. Thankfully, Miko's host parents wouldn't return home for several hours. Allowing Jack and Miko to simply stay on the floor in their current position. Miko continued to run her fingers through his hair as a means to calm him.

Both Miko and Raf did something that they knew would provide little comfort to their emotionally wounded loved ones. But something was better than nothing. They both leaned closer to their ears and quietly sang lyrics that contained the message they wanted so desperately to convey.

_Lights will guide… You home…  
__And ignite… Your bones…  
__And I will try…  
__To fix you…_

* * *

**This was the most emotional chapter I've had to write in a long time. Wow. Maybe I should write chapters like this more often…**

**As I stated before, this is the last chapter for **_**Talida Prime: Rising Suns**_**. Once I post this chapter, I will change the story status from in progress to complete.**

**On a happier note, I am proud to announce that the winner of my naming contest is Prine Time Girl! I'll reveal the chosen name in **_**Fading Suns**_**. But now, she gets to use my OC in a story.**

**Now, we shall celebrate the ending of the story with a final thank you.**

**Thank you for going on this wild, crazy ride with me. You made it so fun. You made it so worthwhile. You made it a ride that I will never forget. Majority of the time with all of my stories, I've been writing and posting chapters as I went through some personal troubles. Like my grandpa dying last year, my problems with my friends, my grandma being in hospital. But…you guys made it all worthwhile. You got me through all my troubles. You all never fail to make me smile and I am extremely thankful for you. Trust me when I say that this wild, crazy ride is far from coming to an end. And I would love it if you guys remained on this wild, crazy ride with me. We started this ride together. We're gonna finish this ride together.**

**Now, for the last time, I'm gonna ask you to review and fave the story. NO ALERTS!**

**Now, I'm not gonna say bye for once. I'm gonna see this.**

**See you later.**


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